View source for Sunderland

{{Short description|City in Tyne and Wear, England}}
{{About|the English city|football club based in Sunderland|Sunderland A.F.C.}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2013}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Sunderland
| settlement_type    = [[City status in the United Kingdom|City]] and [[metropolitan borough]]
| image_skyline      = {{multiple image |perrow=1/2/2/2|total_width=275px |border=infobox |align=center
 |image1 = SunderlandBridges.jpg
 |caption1 = [[Monkwearmouth Railway Bridge]] (left) and [[Wearmouth Bridge]] (right)
 |image2 = Sunderland stadium of light.jpg
 |caption2 = [[Stadium of Light]]
 |image3 = St. Peter's Campus.jpg
 |caption3 = [[University of Sunderland]]
 |image4 = Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens from Mowbray Park, 7th May 2002. - geograph.org.uk - 136929.jpg
 |caption4 = [[Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens]]
 |image5 = Roker North Pier lighthouse - geograph.org.uk - 447078.jpg
 |caption5 = [[Roker|Roker Pier Lighthouse]]
| image6 = Hylton Castle 2.jpg
| caption6  = [[Hylton Castle]]
}}
| imagesize          = 
| image_alt          = 
| image_caption      = 
| image_flag         = 
| flag_alt           = 
| image_seal         = 
| seal_alt           = 
| image_shield       = Arms of the Sunderland City Council.svg
| shield_alt         = 
| shield_link        = Coat of arms of Sunderland
| image_blank_emblem = 
| blank_emblem_size  = 
| blank_emblem_type  = 
| blank_emblem_link  = 
| etymology          = 
| nickname           = 
| motto = {{force singular}} {{langx |la|Nil Desperandum Auspice Deo |translation=do not despair, have faith in God}}
| image_map          = Sunderland UK locator map.svg
| mapsize            = 
| map_alt            = 
| map_caption        = Sunderland shown within [[Tyne and Wear]]
| pushpin_map        = 
| pushpin_map_alt    = 
| pushpin_map_caption = 
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| pushpin_label_position = 
| coordinates        = {{coord|54.906|-1.381|region:GB_type:adm3rd|display=inline,title}}
| coor_pinpoint      = 
| coordinates_footnotes = 
| subdivision_type   = [[Sovereign state]]
| subdivision_name   = [[United Kingdom]]
| subdivision_type1  = [[Countries of the United Kingdom|Country]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[England]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[Regions of England|Region]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[North East England|North East]]
| subdivision_type3  = [[Ceremonial counties of England|Ceremonial county]]
| subdivision_name3  = [[Tyne and Wear]]
| subdivision_type4 = [[Historic counties of England|Historic County]]
| subdivision_name4 = [[County Durham]]
| subdivision_type5 = [[City region (United Kingdom)|City region]]
| subdivision_name5 = [[North East Combined Authority|North East]]
| established_title  = Founded
| established_date   = 674 AD
| established_title1 = City status
| established_date1  = 1992
| established_title2 = [[Metropolitan borough]]
| established_date2  = [[Local Government Act 1972|1 April 1974]]
| named_for          = 
| seat_type          = Administrative HQ
| seat               = [[City Hall, Sunderland]]
| parts_type         = 
| parts              = <!-- Government -->
| government_footnotes = <ref name="Council leadership">{{cite web |url=https://www.newcastle.gov.uk/local-government |title=How we run the city |website=Newcastle City Council |access-date=16 January 2024}}</ref>
| government_type    = [[Metropolitan borough]]
| governing_body     = [[Sunderland City Council]]
| leader_title       = [[Executive arrangements|Executive]]
| leader_name        = [[Executive arrangements#Leader and cabinet|Leader and cabinet]]
| leader_title1      = [[Political make-up of local councils in the United Kingdom|Control]]
| leader_name1       = {{English district control|GSS=E08000024}}
| leader_title2      = [[Executive arrangements#Leader and cabinet|Leader]]
| leader_name2       = Michael Mordey ([[Labour Party (UK)|L]])
| leader_title3      = [[List of mayors of Sunderland|Mayor]]
| leader_name3       = Allison Chisnall
| leader_title4      = [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|MPs]]
| leader_name4       = {{Collapsible list | title = 3 MPs
 | [[Lewis Atkinson]] ([[Labour Party (UK)|L]])
 | [[Sharon Hodgson]] ([[Labour Party (UK)|L]])
 | [[Bridget Phillipson]] ([[Labour Party (UK)|L]])
 }}
<!-- Area -->
| unit_pref          = Metric <!-- ALL fields with measurements have automatic unit conversion -->
| area_footnotes     = <ref>{{United Kingdom district population citation|area}}</ref>
| area_total_km2     = {{English district area|GSS=E08000024}}
| area_land_km2      = 
| area_water_km2     = 
| area_rank          = [[List of English districts by area|{{English district area rank|GSS=E08000024}}]]
<!-- Population -->
| population_footnotes = <ref name="popstats">{{United Kingdom district population citation}}</ref>
| population_as_of   = {{English statistics year}}
| population_total   = {{English district population|GSS=E08000024}}
| population_rank    = [[List of English districts by population|{{English district rank|GSS=E08000024}}]]
| population_density_km2 = {{English district density|GSS=E08000024}}
| population_demonym = [[Mackem]] ([[Colloquialism|colloq.]])
<!-- demographics (section 1) -->
| demographics_type1 = Ethnicity <span style="font-weight:normal;">([[2021 United Kingdom census|2021]])</span>
| demographics1_footnotes = <ref name="2021 Nomis">{{NOMIS2021 |id=E08000024 |title=Sunderland Local Authority |access-date=14 July 2024}}</ref>
| demographics1_title1 = [[Ethnic groups in the United Kingdom|Ethnic groups]]
| demographics1_info1 = {{Collapsible list
 | 94.6% [[White people in the United Kingdom|White]]
 | 3.0% [[British Asians|Asian]]
 | 1.0% [[Black British people|Black]]
 | 0.9% [[Mixed (United Kingdom ethnicity category)|Mixed]]
 | 0.5% [[Ethnic groups in the United Kingdom|other]]
 }}
<!-- demographics (section 2) -->
| demographics_type2 = Religion <span style="font-weight:normal;">(2021)</span>
| demographics2_footnotes = <ref name="2021 Nomis"/>
| demographics2_title1 = [[Religion in England|Religion]]
| demographics2_info1 = {{Collapsible list
 | 53.2% [[Religion in England#Christianity|Christianity]]
 | 39.5% [[Irreligion in the United Kingdom|no religion]]
 | 1.8% [[Islam in England|Islam]]
 | 0.3% [[Sikhism in England|Sikhism]]
 | 0.2% [[Hinduism in England|Hinduism]]
 | 0.2% [[Buddhism in England|Buddhism]]
 | 0.0% [[History of the Jews in England|Judaism]]
 | 0.3% [[Religion in England|other]]
 | 4.5% not stated
 }}
| timezone1          = [[Greenwich Mean Time|GMT]]
| utc_offset1        = +0
| timezone1_DST      = [[British Summer Time|BST]]
| utc_offset1_DST    = +1
<!-- Codes -->
| postal_code_type   = [[Postcodes in the United Kingdom|Postcode area]]
| postal_code        = {{Hlist | [[SR postcode area|SR]]1-6 | SR9 | SR43 | [[NE postcode area|NE]]37-38 | [[DH postcode area|DH]]4-5 }}
| area_code_type     = [[Telephone numbers in the United Kingdom|Dialling code]]
| area_code          = [[0191]]
| iso_code           = [[ISO 3166-2:GB|GB-SND]]
| blank1_name        = [[GSS coding system|GSS code]]
| blank1_info        = E08000024
| website            = {{URL|sunderland.gov.uk}}
| module             = 
| footnotes          = 
}}
'''Sunderland''' ({{IPAc-en|audio=en-uk-Sunderland.ogg|ˈ|s|ʌ|n|d|ər|l|ə|n|d}}) is a [[port]] [[City status in the United Kingdom|city]] and [[metropolitan borough]] in [[Tyne and Wear]], [[England]]. It is a port at the mouth of the [[River Wear]] on the [[North Sea]], approximately {{convert|10|mi|km}} south-east of [[Newcastle upon Tyne]]. It is the most populous settlement in the [[Wearside]] conurbation and the second-most populous settlement in [[North East England]], after Newcastle.<ref name="2021census">{{cite web|url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/visualisations/dvc2257a/fig1/datadownload.xlsx|title=Figure 1: Explore population characteristics of individual BUAs|access-date=7 August 2021}}</ref>

The centre of the modern city is an amalgamation of three settlements founded in the [[Anglo-Saxons|Anglo-Saxon era]]: [[Monkwearmouth]], on the north bank of the Wear, and Sunderland and [[Bishopwearmouth]] on the south bank. Monkwearmouth contains [[St Peter's Church, Monkwearmouth|St Peter's Church]], which was founded in 674 and formed part of [[Monkwearmouth–Jarrow Abbey]], a significant centre of learning in the seventh and eighth centuries. Sunderland was a fishing settlement and later a port, being granted a town charter in 1179. The city traded in [[coal]] and [[salt]], also developing shipbuilding industry in the fourteenth century and glassmaking industry in the seventeenth century.

Sunderland was once known as 'the largest shipbuilding town in the world' and once made a quarter of all of the world's ships from its yards.{{citation needed|date=March 2025}} Following the decline of its traditional industries in the late 20th century, the area became an [[automotive industry in the United Kingdom|automotive building centre]]. In 1992, the borough of Sunderland was granted [[City status in the United Kingdom|city status]]. Sunderland is historically part of [[County Durham]], being incorporated  to the ceremonial county of Tyne and Wear in 1974.

Locals are sometimes known as [[Mackems]], a term which came into common use in the 1970s. Its use and acceptance by residents, particularly among the older generations, is not universal.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.englandsnortheast.co.uk/SunderlandMackems.html|title=Sunderland Mackem Origin|access-date=19 August 2017|publisher=englandsnortheast.co.uk|year=2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://wp.sunderland.ac.uk/seagullcity/mackem/|title=Mackem|access-date=19 August 2017|publisher=Seagull City|year=2017}}</ref> The term is also applied to the Sunderland dialect, which shares similarities with the other North-East England dialects.

==Toponymy==
In {{circa|674}}, [[Ecgfrith of Northumbria|King Ecgfrith]] granted [[Benedict Biscop]] a "sunder-land". In 685 [[Bede|The Venerable Bede]] moved to the newly founded [[Jarrow]] monastery. He had started his monastic career at Monkwearmouth monastery and later wrote that he was "ácenned on ''sundorlande'' þæs ylcan mynstres" (born in a ''separate land'' of this same monastery). This can be taken as "sundorlande" (being Old English for "separate land") or the settlement of Sunderland.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bosworthtoller.com/058721|title=Sundor-land (supplementary)|last=Bosworth|first=Joseph|author-link=Joseph Bosworth (scholar)|editor-last=Toller|editor-first=Thomas Northcote|editor-link=Thomas Northcote Toller|editor2-last=Christ|editor2-first=Sean|editor3-last=Tichý|editor3-first=Ondřej|publisher=Faculty of Arts, [[Charles University in Prague]]|date=21 March 2010|website=[[An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary]] Online.|access-date=22 December 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bosworthtoller.com/029360|title=Sundor-land|last=Bosworth|first=Joseph|author-link=Joseph Bosworth (scholar)|editor-last=Toller|editor-first=Thomas Northcote|editor-link=Thomas Northcote Toller|editor2-last=Christ|editor2-first=Sean|editor3-last=Tichý|editor3-first=Ondřej|publisher=Faculty of Arts, [[Charles University in Prague]]|date=21 March 2010|website=[[An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary]] Online.|access-date=22 December 2018}}</ref> The name may also be descriptive of the original settlement's location, being almost cut off (sundered) from the rest of the mainland by creeks and gullies from both the sea and the River Wear.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Garbutt |first1=George |title=A Historical and Descriptive View of the Parishes of Monkwearmouth and Bishopwearmouth and the Port and Borough of Sunderland |date=1819 |page=118 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uhwwAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA118 |access-date=3 April 2024}}</ref>

==History==
{{main|History of Sunderland}}

===Early, ancient and Medieval===
{{see also|Monkwearmouth–Jarrow Abbey}}
The earliest [[inhabitants]] of the Sunderland area were [[Stone Age]] [[hunter-gatherer]]s. Artefacts from this era have been discovered, including [[microliths]] found during excavations at [[St Peter's Church, Monkwearmouth]].<ref>{{cite book |title=A History of Sunderland |edition=2nd |year=2001 |isbn=0-9525122-6-2 |author=Glen Lyndon Dodds |page=5|publisher=Albion }}</ref> During the final phase of the Stone Age, the [[Neolithic period]] ({{circa|4000|2000}} BC), [[Hastings Hill]], on the western outskirts of Sunderland, was a focal point of activity and a place of burial and ritual significance. Evidence includes the former presence of a [[cursus]] monument.<ref>{{cite book |title=A History of Sunderland |edition=2nd |year=2001 |isbn=0-9525122-6-2 |author=Glen Lyndon Dodds |page=6|publisher=Albion }}</ref>

It is believed the [[Brittonic languages|Brythonic]]-speaking [[Brigantes]] inhabited the area around the [[River Wear]] in pre-[[Roman Britain]]. There is a long-standing local legend that there was a Roman settlement on the south bank of the River Wear on what is the site of the former Vaux Brewery, although no archaeological investigation has taken place.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/wear/3200659.stm|title=Brewery may hold Roman answers|access-date=22 July 2009 |work=BBC News|date=2 September 2003}}</ref>

Roman artefacts have been recovered in the River Wear at [[North Hylton]], including four stone anchors, which may support the theory there was a Roman dam or port on the River Wear.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-56468718|title=Stone anchors found in River Wear could reveal Roman port|access-date=20 March 2020|work=BBC News|date=21 March 2021}}</ref>
[[File:Northumbria.rise.600.700.jpg|thumb|right|The areas that are now Sunderland were once part of the Brythonic [[Hen Ogledd]] lands in the [[Early Middle Ages|Dark Ages]]; the land was Anglicised over time and merged into [[Northumbria]].]]
[[File:st peters sunderland.jpg|thumb|left|St Peter's Church in Monkwearmouth. Only the porch and part of the west wall remain from the original monastery built in 674.]]
Recorded settlements at the mouth of the Wear date to {{circa|674}}, when an [[Anglo-Saxon]] nobleman, Benedict Biscop, was granted land by King Ecgfrith and founded the Wearmouth–Jarrow (''St Peter's'') [[monastery]] on the north bank of the river—an area that became known as Monkwearmouth.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Garbutt |first1=George |title=A Historical and Descriptive View of the Parishes of Monkwearmouth and Bishopwearmouth and the Port and Borough of Sunderland |date=1819 |page=39 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uhwwAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA39 |access-date=3 April 2024}}</ref> Biscop's monastery was the first built of stone in [[Northumbria]]. He employed glaziers from [[France]] and in doing so he re-established [[glass making]] in Britain.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sunderlandecho.com/CustomPages/CustomPage.aspx?PageID=31748|title=Museum and Winter Gardens – Look At Glass|access-date=3 April 2008 |work=Sunderland Echo|year=2005 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080513072206/http://www.sunderlandecho.com/CustomPages/CustomPage.aspx?PageID=31748 <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 13 May 2008}}</ref> In 686, the community was taken over by [[Ceolfrid]], and Wearmouth–Jarrow became a major centre of learning and knowledge in [[Anglo-Saxon England]] with a library of around 300 volumes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weardaleway.wanadoo.co.uk/history1.html|title=Sunderland History|access-date=3 April 2008|publisher=Weardaleway website|year=2005|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090131032803/http://www.weardaleway.wanadoo.co.uk/history1.html|archive-date=31 January 2009}}</ref>

The [[Codex Amiatinus]], described by biblical scholar [[Henry Julian White]] (1859–1934) as the 'finest book in the world',<ref>[[Henry Julian White|H. J. White]], ''The Codex Amiatinus and its Birthplace'', in: Studia Biblica et Ecclesiasctica (Oxford 1890), Vol. II, p. 273.</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09227b.htm |title=Libraries |encyclopedia=Catholic Encyclopedia |access-date=23 January 2007}}</ref> was created at the [[monastery]] and was likely worked on by [[Bede]], who was born at Wearmouth in 673.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bedesworld.co.uk/academic-bede.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030604082808/http://bedesworld.co.uk/academic-bede.php|url-status=dead|archive-date=4 June 2003|title=Academic – The Venerable Bede|access-date=3 April 2008|publisher=Bede's World museum|year=2008}}</ref> This is one of the oldest monasteries still standing in England. While at the monastery, Bede completed the ''[[Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum]]'' ''(The Ecclesiastical History of the English People)'' in 731, a feat which earned him the title ''The father of English history''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://special.lib.gla.ac.uk/exhibns/month/jan2001.html|title=Book of the Month, Bede Wrings on the Calendar|access-date=3 April 2008 |publisher=University of Glasgow|year=2001}}</ref>

In the late 8th century the [[Vikings]] raided the coast, and by the middle of the 9th century the monastery had been abandoned. Lands on the south side of the river were granted to the [[Bishop of Durham]] by [[Athelstan|Athelstan of England]] in 930; these became known as Bishopwearmouth and included settlements such as [[Ryhope]] which fall within the modern boundary of Sunderland.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/public/editable/themes/environment/implementation/conservation/conservationwalks/bishopwearmouth/bishop.origins.asp |title=Origins of Bishopwearmouth |access-date=23 January 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070927201702/http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/public/editable/themes/environment/implementation/conservation/conservationwalks/bishopwearmouth/bishop.origins.asp <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 27 September 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wearsideonline.com/ryhope_village.html|title=Ryhope Village|access-date=3 April 2008|publisher=Wearsideonline website|year=2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080316021942/http://www.wearsideonline.com/ryhope_village.html|archive-date=16 March 2008}}</ref>

In 1100, Bishopwearmouth parish included a [[fishing]] village at the southern mouth of the river (now the East End) known as 'Soender-land' (which evolved into 'Sunderland').<ref>{{cite news |title=What's in a name? |url=http://www.sunderlandtoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=1512&ArticleID=1962253 |work=Sunderland Echo |access-date=17 January 2007 }}{{dead link|date=October 2017|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> This settlement was granted a [[charter]] in 1179 under the name of the borough of Wearmouth by [[Hugh Pudsey]], then the [[Bishop of Durham]] (who had quasi-[[monarchical]] power within the [[County Palatine of Durham]]).<ref name=Simpson1999>{{cite book |last1=Simpson |first1=David |title=The Millennium History of North East England |date=1999 |publisher=Leighton |isbn=9780953698431 |page=1763 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ke95AAAAIAAJ&q=Sunderland+pudsey+1179 |access-date=3 April 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Old Sunderland History |url=http://englandsnortheast.co.uk/Sunderland.html |access-date=25 March 2018 |website=englandsnortheast.co.uk}}</ref> The charter gave its merchants the same rights as those of [[Newcastle-upon-Tyne]], but it nevertheless took time for Sunderland to develop as a [[port]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Newcastle Coal |url=https://englandsnortheast.co.uk/NewcastleCoal.html |website=England's North East |access-date=27 August 2019 |archive-date=27 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190827105850/https://englandsnortheast.co.uk/NewcastleCoal.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Fishing was the main commercial activity at the time: mainly [[herring]] in the 13th century, then [[salmon]] in the 14th and 15th centuries.<ref name="Pevsner1983">{{cite book |last1=Pevsner |first1=Nikolaus |last2=Williamson |first2=Elizabeth |title=The Buildings of England: County Durham |date=1983 |publisher=Penguin |location=London |edition=2nd}}</ref> From 1346 [[shipbuilding|ships were built]] at Wearmouth, by a merchant named Thomas Menville,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thisissunderland.com/history/a_shipbuilding_tradition.asp |title=Sunderland Ship Building |access-date=3 April 2008 |work=This is Sunderland website |year=2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070814171112/http://www.thisissunderland.com/history/a_shipbuilding_tradition.asp |archive-date=14 August 2007 }}</ref> and by 1396 a small amount of coal was being exported.<ref name="Pevsner1983" />

===Jamies and Black Cats===
Rapid growth of the port was prompted by the salt trade.<ref name="Pevsner1983" /> Salt exports from Sunderland are recorded from as early as the 13th century, by 1589 [[Salt pan (evaporation)|salt pans]] were laid at Bishopwearmouth Panns (the modern-day name of the area the pans occupied is Pann's Bank, on the river bank between the city centre and the East End).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.localhistories.org/sunderland.html|title=A Brief History of Sunderland|access-date=3 April 2008 |author=Tim Lambert|year=2008}}</ref> Large vats of [[seawater]] were heated using coal; as the water evaporated, the salt remained. As coal was required to heat the salt pans, a [[coal mining]] community began to emerge. Only poor-quality coal was used in salt panning; better-quality coal was traded via the port, which subsequently began to grow.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.northeasthistory.co.uk/the_north_east/history/coal/1100_1500/index.html |title=North East History, Early Coal Mining |access-date=3 April 2008 |work=The Northern Echo |year=2003 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927173408/http://www.northeasthistory.co.uk/the_north_east/history/coal/1100_1500/index.html |archive-date=27 September 2007 }}</ref>

Both salt and coal continued to be exported through the 17th century, with the coal trade growing significantly (2–3,000 tons of coal were exported from Sunderland in the year 1600; by 1680 this had increased to 180,000 tons).<ref name="Pevsner1983" /> Difficulty for colliers trying to navigate the Wear's shallow waters meant coal mined further inland was loaded onto [[Keelboat|keels]] (large, flat-bottomed boats) and taken downriver to the waiting colliers. A close-knit group of workers manned the Keels as '[[keelmen]]'.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.northeasthistory.co.uk/the_north_east/history/didyouknow/12.html|title=Did you know?|access-date=3 April 2008 |work=North East History website|year=2003}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> In 1634 a market and yearly fair charter was granted by Bishop [[Thomas Morton (bishop)|Thomas Morton]].<ref name="Burnett1830">{{cite book |last1=Burnett |first1=James |title=The history of the town and port of Sunderland, and the parishes of Bishopwearmouth and Monkwearmouth |date=1830 |publisher=J. S. Burnett |location=Sunderland |page=44}}</ref> Morton's charter acknowledged that the borough had been called Wearmouth until then, but it [[municipal corporation|incorporated]] the place under the name of Sunderland, by which it had become more generally known.<ref name=Morton1634>{{cite book |last1=Garbutt |first1=George |title=A Historical and Descriptive View of the Parishes of Monkwearmouth and Bishopwearmouth and the Port and Borough of Sunderland |date=1819 |pages=9–12 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uhwwAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA9 |access-date=3 April 2024}}</ref>

Before the outbreak of the [[English Civil War|English civil war]], the North, with the exception of [[Kingston upon Hull]], declared for the King. In 1644 the North was captured by the Roundheads (Parliamentarians), the area around Sunderland itself being taken in March of that year. One artefact of the civil war in the area was the long trench; a tactic of later warfare. In the village of [[Offerton, Tyne and Wear|Offerton]] roughly three miles inland from the present city centre, skirmishes occurred. The Roundheads blockaded the [[River Tyne]], crippling the Newcastle coal trade, which allowed a short period of flourishing coal trade on the Wear.<ref name=civilwar>{{cite web | last = History.com Staff | title = English civil wars | website = history.com | publisher = A+E Networks | year = 2009 | url = http://www.history.com/topics/british-history/english-civil-wars | access-date = 29 July 2015 }}</ref><ref name="civWar1644">{{cite book | last = Dodds | first = Derek | title = Northumbia… (Battlefield Britain) | publisher = Leo Cooper Ltd (20 Oct 2005) | date = 20 October 2005 | location = England | page = 139 | isbn = 1844151492}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=''A History of Sunderland'' (second edition, 2001), Glen Lyndon Dodds, pp. 46–48}}</ref><ref name=tren>{{cite web | title = Offerton, site of Civil War skirmish – Details| website = twsitelines.info| date = 14 October 2015| url = http://www.twsitelines.info/SMR/25| access-date = 19 August 2016 }}</ref>

In 1669, after the [[Restoration (England)|Restoration]], King [[Charles II of England|Charles II]] granted [[letters patent]] to one Edward Andrew, [[Esq.]] to 'build a pier and erect a lighthouse or lighthouses and cleanse the harbour of Sunderland'. A [[tonnage]] [[Duty (economics)|duty]] was levied on shipping in order to raise the necessary funds.<ref name="Sykes1833">{{cite book |last1=Sykes |first1=John |title=Local Records: Or, Historical Register of Remarkable Events, which Have Occurred in Northumberland and Durham, Newcastle Upon Tyne, and Berwick Upon Tweed (vol. 1) |url=https://archive.org/details/localrecordsorh02sykegoog |date=1833 |publisher=J. Sykes |location=Newcastle |page=[https://archive.org/details/localrecordsorh02sykegoog/page/n435 114]}}</ref> There were a growing number of shipbuilders or boatbuilders active on the River Wear in the late 17th century.<ref name="JAMarr">{{cite web |last1=Marr |first1=J. A. |title=A History of Shipbuilding on the Wear |url=http://www.searlecanada.org/sunderland/sunderland160.html |website=The Sunderland Site |access-date=3 September 2019}}</ref>
[[File:10 Church Street (13920301659).jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.75|Rare surviving early 18th-century merchant's house (later used as a warehouse) in Church Street, Sunderland]]
By the start of the 18th century the banks of the Wear were described as being studded with small shipyards, as far as the tide flowed.<ref name="JAMarr" /> After measures were taken in 1717 to increase the depth of the river, Sunderland's shipbuilding trade grew substantially, in parallel with its coal exports.<ref name="Davis1962,2012">{{cite book |last1=Davis |first1=Ralph |title=The Rise of the English Shipping Industry in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries |date=2012 |publisher=Oxford University Press |page=62 |edition=2nd}}</ref> A number of warships were built, along with many commercial sailing ships. By the middle of the century the town was probably the premier shipbuilding centre in Britain.<ref>{{cite book |title=The New Encyclopaedia Britannica: Micropaedia |date=1983}}</ref> Ships built in Sunderland were known as 'Jamies'.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Simpson |first1=David |title=Sunderland: 'Mackems' |url=https://englandsnortheast.co.uk/sunderland-mackems/ |website=England's North East |access-date=2 April 2024}}</ref> By 1788 Sunderland was Britain's fourth largest port by measure of tonnage, after London, Newcastle and Liverpool; among these it was the leading coal exporter (though it did not rival Newcastle in terms of home coal trade).<ref name="Davis1962,2012" /> Still further growth was driven across the region, towards the end of the century, by London's insatiable demand for coal during the [[French Revolutionary Wars]].<ref name="JAMarr" />

[[File:HolyTrinitySunderland-apse.jpg|thumb|left|Holy Trinity Church, Sunderland, completed in 1719]]
Until 1719 the borough of Sunderland formed part of the wider parish of Bishopwearmouth. Following the completion of [[Holy Trinity Church, Sunderland]] (today also known as Sunderland Old Parish Church) in 1719, the borough was made a separate parish called Sunderland.<ref name=1719act/> Later, in 1769, St John's Church was built as a [[chapel of ease]] within Holy Trinity parish; built by a local coal fitter, John Thornhill, it stood in Prospect Row to the north-east of the parish church. St John's was demolished in 1972.<ref>{{cite web |title=Photo: blue plaque |url=https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3327052 |website=Geograph |access-date=26 August 2019}}</ref> By 1720 the port area was completely built up, with large houses and gardens facing the [[Town Moor, Sunderland|Town Moor]] and the sea, and labourers' dwellings vying with manufactories alongside the river.<ref name="Pevsner1983" /> The three original settlements - Bishopwearmouth, Monkwearmouth and Sunderland - had started to combine, driven by the success of the port of Sunderland, salt panning and shipbuilding along the banks of the river. Around this time, Sunderland was known as 'Sunderland-near-the-Sea'.<ref>{{cite web |last=Shegog |first=Eric |url=http://www2.citysun.ac.uk/minster/history.htm |title=Sunderland Minster |publisher=City of Sunderland College |access-date=9 December 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080627223638/http://www2.citysun.ac.uk/minster/history.htm |archive-date=27 June 2008 }}</ref>

Sunderland's third-biggest export, after coal and salt, was glass.<ref name="JohnsonPotts2013">{{cite book |last1=Johnson |first1=Michael |last2=Potts |first2=Graham |title=The Architecture of Sunderland 1700–1914 |date=2013 |publisher=The History Press |location=Stroud, Gloucs.}}</ref> The town's first modern glassworks were established in the 1690s and the industry grew through the 17th century.<ref name="BBCGlassmaking">{{cite web |title=Glassmaking on Wearside |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/wear/content/articles/2008/02/04/glassmaking_wearside_04022008_feature.shtml |website=BBC |access-date=5 September 2019}}</ref> Its flourishing was aided by trading ships bringing good-quality sand (as [[ballast]]) from [[the Baltic]] and elsewhere which, together with locally available limestone (and coal to fire the furnaces) was a key ingredient in the [[glassmaking]] process. Other industries that developed alongside the river included [[lime burning]] and [[pottery making]] (the town's first commercial pottery manufactory, the Garrison Pottery, had opened in old Sunderland in 1750).<ref name="SundIndust" />

[[File:A South East View of the Cast Iron Bridge over the River Wear at Sunderland.jpg|thumb|right|A south east view of Wearmouth Bridge (c. 1796)]]
By 1770 Sunderland had spread westwards along its High Street to join up with Bishopwearmouth.<ref name="Pevsner1983" /> In 1796 Bishopwearmouth in turn gained a physical link with Monkwearmouth following the construction of a bridge, the [[Wearmouth Bridge (1796)|Wearmouth Bridge]], which was the world's second iron bridge (after the famous span at [[Ironbridge]]).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hodstw.org.uk/sunderland |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150918193101/https://www.hodstw.org.uk/sunderland |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 September 2015 |title=Short History of Sunderland |publisher=www.hodstw.org.uk |access-date=3 June 2016 }}</ref> It was built at the instigation of [[Rowland Burdon (died 1838)|Rowland Burdon]], the [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) for [[County Durham (UK Parliament constituency)|County Durham]], and described by [[Nikolaus Pevsner]] as being 'a triumph of the new metallurgy and engineering ingenuity [...] of superb elegance'.<ref name="Pevsner1983" /> Spanning the river in a single sweep of {{convert|236|ft}}, it was over twice the length of the earlier bridge at Ironbridge but only three-quarters the weight. At the time of building, it was the biggest single-span bridge in the world;<ref>{{cite web |work=Wearside Online |title=Sunderland Wearmouth Bridge |url=http://www.wearsideonline.com/Sunderland_Wearmouth_Bridge.html |access-date=24 September 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111127114349/http://www.wearsideonline.com/sunderland_wearmouth_bridge.html |archive-date=27 November 2011 }}</ref> and because Sunderland had developed on a plateau above the river, it never suffered from the problem of interrupting the passage of high-masted vessels.
[[File:Plan of Sunderland, Bishopwearmouth and Monkwearmouth, 1817.jpg|thumb|left|Early 19th century map showing the 18th-century barracks, battery and piers to the east, with the bridge and nearby 'Pann Field' to the west]]
During the [[War of Jenkins' Ear]] a pair of [[Gun battery|gun batteries]] were built (in 1742 and 1745) on the shoreline to the south of the South Pier, to defend the river from attack (a further battery was built on the cliff top in Roker, ten years later).<ref name="LimeLand">{{cite web |title=Sunderland Under Attack |url=http://www.limestonelandscapes.info/media/12325/Sunderland-Under-Attack/pdf/SunderlandUnderAttack.pdf |website=Limestone Landscapes |access-date=26 August 2019}}</ref> One of the pair was washed away by the sea in 1780, but the other was expanded during the [[French Revolutionary Wars]] and became known as the Black Cat Battery.<ref name="VCHDefPort">{{cite web |title=Defending the Port |url=https://www.victoriacountyhistory.ac.uk/explore/items/defending-port |website=Victoria County History |date=23 November 2008 |access-date=26 August 2019}}</ref> In 1794 [[Sunderland Barracks]] were built, behind the battery, close to what was then the tip of the headland.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.englandsnortheast.co.uk/Sunderland.html|title=Sunderland : 'Old Sunderland'|publisher=Wearside History|access-date=16 October 2016}}</ref>
[[File:Commemorative plates Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens (8096466202).jpg|thumb|left|Commemorative plate, with pink '[[lustreware|splash lustre]]', depicting Wearmouth Bridge of 1796]][[File:The Ropery, Sunderland (geograph 3880645).jpg|thumb|right|Grimshaw and Webster's Patent Ropery of 1797: the world's oldest factory for machine-made rope]]
The world's first steam [[dredger]] was built in Sunderland in 1796-7 and put to work on the river the following year.<ref name="Skempton1974">{{cite journal |last1=Skempton |first1=A. W. |title=A History of the Steam Dredger, 1797–1830 |journal=Transactions of the Newcomen Society |date=1974 |volume=47 |issue=1 |pages=97–116|doi=10.1179/tns.1974.008 }}</ref> Designed by Stout's successor as Engineer, Jonathan Pickernell jr (in post from 1795 to 1804), it consisted of a set of 'bag and spoon' dredgers driven by a tailor-made 4-horsepower [[Boulton & Watt]] beam engine. It was designed to dredge to a maximum depth of {{convert|10|ft|abbr=on}} below the waterline and remained in operation until 1804, when its constituent parts were sold as separate lots.<ref name="Skempton1974" /> Onshore, numerous small industries supported the business of the burgeoning port. In 1797 the world's first patent ropery (producing machine-made [[rope]], rather than using a [[ropewalk]]) was built in Sunderland, using a steam-powered hemp-spinning machine which had been devised by a local schoolmaster, Richard Fothergill, in 1793;<ref name="JohnsonPotts2013" /> the ropery building still stands, in the Deptford area of the city.<ref>{{NHLE |desc=Websters Ropery (Grade II listing) |num=1207121 |access-date=27 August 2019}}</ref>

==="The greatest shipbuilding port in the world"===
[[File:Sunderland Docks Office (13920362930).jpg|thumb|right|Sunderland Dock Company offices (1850, by John Murray) and the Gladstone Swing Bridge of 1874]]
[[File:William Pile's Shipyard, North Sands, Sunderland.jpg|thumb|right|[[William Pile (shipbuilder)|William Pile]]'s Shipyard at North Sands, {{circa|1830}}; described as the greatest ship designer of his age, he built more than 100 ships in wood and almost as many in iron.<ref name="ShipbuildingFS2">{{cite web |title=Shipbuilding on the Wear: Part 2 |url=https://www.sunderland.gov.uk/media/6957/11-Shipbuilding-on-the-Wear-Part-2/pdf/Shipbuilding_on_the_Wear_Part_2.pdf |website=Sunderland Council |access-date=5 September 2019}}</ref>]]
Sunderland's shipbuilding industry continued to grow through most of the 19th century, becoming the town's dominant industry and a defining part of its identity.<ref name="JohnsonPotts2013" /> By 1815 it was 'the leading shipbuilding port for wooden trading vessels' with 600 ships constructed that year across 31 different yards.<ref name="ShipbuildingFS1">{{cite web |title=Shipbuilding on the Wear: Part 1 |url=https://www.sunderland.gov.uk/media/6958/10-Shipbuilding-on-the-Wear-Part-1/pdf/10_Shipbuilding_Part_1.pdf |website=Sunderland Council |access-date=5 September 2019}}</ref> By 1840 the town had 76 shipyards and between 1820 and 1850 the number of ships being built on the Wear increased fivefold. From 1846 to 1854 almost a third of the UK's ships were built in Sunderland, and in 1850 the ''Sunderland Herald'' proclaimed the town to be the greatest shipbuilding port in the world.<ref name="Clarke1997">{{cite book |last1=Clarke |first1=Joseph Finbar |title=Building Ships on the North-East Coast |date=1997 |publisher=Bewick Press |page=93}}</ref>

The [[Durham & Sunderland Railway]] Co. built a railway line across the Town Moor and established a passenger terminus there in 1836. In 1847 the line was bought by [[George Hudson]]'s [[York and Newcastle Railway]]. Hudson, nicknamed 'The Railway King', was [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] for [[Sunderland (UK Parliament constituency)|Sunderland]] and was already involved in a scheme to build a dock in the area. In 1846 he had formed the [[Sunderland Docks|Sunderland Dock Company]], which received parliamentary approval for the construction of a dock between the South Pier and Hendon Bay.<ref name="SundEcho16.3.17">{{cite web |title=On the waterfront: First sea link with the docks |url=https://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/on-the-waterfront-first-sea-link-with-the-docks-357798 |website=Sunderland Echo |date=16 March 2017 |access-date=31 August 2019}}</ref>

Increasing industrialisation had prompted residential expansion away from the old port area in the suburban terraces of the Fawcett Estate and [[Mowbray Park]]. The area around Fawcett Street itself increasingly functioned as the civic and commercial town centre.

Marine engineering works were established from the 1820s onwards, initially providing engines for [[paddle steamers]]; in 1845 a ship named ''Experiment'' was the first of many to be converted to [[screw steamer|steam screw propulsion]].<ref name="JAMarr" /> Demand for steam-powered vessels increased during the [[Crimean War]]; nonetheless, sailing ships continued to be built, including fast [[fully-rigged]] [[composite ship|composite]]-built [[clipper]]s, including the [[City of Adelaide (1864)|''City of Adelaide'']] in 1864 and [[Torrens (clipper ship)|''Torrens'']] (the last such vessel ever built), in 1875.<ref name="ShipbuildingFS2" />

By the middle of the century glassmaking was at its height on Wearside. [[Hartley Wood and Co|James Hartley & Co.]], established in Sunderland in 1836, grew to be the largest glassworks in the country and (having patented an innovative production technique for [[rolled plate glass]]) produced much of the glass used in the construction of [[the Crystal Palace]] in 1851.<ref name="SundIndust">{{cite web |title=Sunderland Industries |url=https://englandsnortheast.co.uk/sunderland-industries/ |website=England's North East |access-date=5 September 2019}}</ref> A third of all UK-manufactured plate glass was produced at Hartley's by this time.<ref name="JohnsonPotts2013" /> Other manufacturers included the Cornhill Flint Glassworks (established at Southwick in 1865), which went on to specialise in [[pressed glass]], as did the Wear Flint Glassworks (which had originally been established in 1697).<ref name="BBCGlassmaking" /> In addition to the plate glass and pressed glass manufacturers there were 16 bottle works on the Wear in the 1850s, with the capacity to produce between 60 and 70,000 bottles a day.<ref name="SundIndust" />

In 1848 George Hudson's [[York, Newcastle and Berwick Railway]] built a passenger terminus, [[Monkwearmouth Station Museum|Monkwearmouth Station]], just north of Wearmouth Bridge; and south of the river another passenger terminus, in Fawcett Street, in 1853. Later, [[Thomas Elliot Harrison]] (chief engineer to the [[North Eastern Railway (United Kingdom)|North Eastern Railway]]) made plans to carry the railway across the river; the [[Wearmouth Railway Bridge]] (reputedly 'the largest Hog-Back iron girder bridge in the world') opened in 1879.<ref name="JohnsonPotts2013" />
[[File:An Aerial view of Sunderland (9105585273).jpg|thumb|left|River Wear (top) in 1969, with Hudson Dock, Hendon Dock, and associated railway links to the south]]
In 1854 the Londonderry, Seaham & Sunderland Railway opened linking collieries to a separate set of staiths at Hudson Dock South, it also provided a passenger service from Sunderland to Seaham Harbour.<ref>{{cite web |title=Colliery Railways: Londonderry Seaham & Sunderland 1854/55 |url=https://durhamrecordsonline.com/library/colliery-railways-londonderry-seaham-sunderland-185455/ |website=Durham Records Online |date=30 July 2013 |access-date=31 August 2019}}</ref>

In 1886–90 [[Sunderland Town Hall]] was built in Fawcett Street, just to the east of the railway station, to a design by [[Brightwen Binyon]].<ref name="Pevsner1983" /> By 1889 two million tons of coal per year was passing through Hudson Dock,<ref>{{cite web |title=Tyne and Wear HER(2874): Sunderland, South Dock (Hudson Dock) – Details |url=https://twsitelines.info/SMR/2874 |website=SiteLines |access-date=31 August 2019}}</ref> while to the south of Hendon Dock, the Wear Fuel Works distilled [[coal tar]] to produce pitch, oil and other products.<ref>[[Commons:File:Insurance Plan of Sunderland; sheet 14-1 (BL 148860).tiff|Map detail, 1894]]</ref>

[[File:1937wembleylapofhonour.jpg|thumb|left|FA Cup winners, Wembley, 1937]]
The 20th century saw [[Sunderland A.F.C.]] established as the Wearside area's greatest claim to sporting fame. Founded in 1879 as Sunderland and District Teachers A.F.C. by [[schoolmaster]] [[James Allan (footballer, born 1857)|James Allan]], Sunderland joined [[The Football League]] for the [[1890–91 in English football|1890–91 season]].

===20th Century===
[[File:Deptford, Sunderland 14.9.1917.jpg|thumb|left|Sunderland in 1917]]
From 1900 to 1919, an [[Sunderland Corporation Tramways|electric tram system]] was built and was gradually replaced by buses during the 1940s before being ended in 1954.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.northeastfilmarchive.com/videos/12751/going-places-story-sunderland-transport|title=Yorkshire Film Archive -|website=Northeastfilmarchive.com|access-date=4 August 2017}}</ref> In 1909 the [[Queen Alexandra Bridge]] was built, linking Deptford and [[Southwick, Sunderland|Southwick]].<ref>{{cite web |title=SINE Project: Structure details for Queen Alexandra Bridge |work=University of Newcastle upon Tyne |url=http://sine.ncl.ac.uk/view_structure_information.asp?struct_id=1242 |access-date=12 October 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090125023527/http://sine.ncl.ac.uk/view_structure_information.asp?struct_id=1242 |archive-date=25 January 2009 }}</ref>
[[File:Women working in the shipyard (10817948524).jpg|thumb|right|King George V visiting women workers at Sir James Laing & Sons shipyard, 15 June 1917]]
The First World War increased shipbuilding, leading to the town being a target in a 1916 [[Zeppelin]] raid. Monkwearmouth was struck on 1 April 1916 and 22 people died. Over 25,000 men from a population of 151,000 served in the armed forces during the war.<ref>{{cite web|last=Henderson |first=Tony |url=http://www.thejournal.co.uk/news/north-east-news/monkwearmouth-station-museum-sunderland-hosts-7184023 |title=Monkwearmouth Station Museum in Sunderland hosts First World War poster exhibition |publisher=The Journal |date=29 May 2014 |access-date=3 June 2016}}</ref>

Through the [[Great Depression in the United Kingdom|Great Depression]] of the 1930s, shipbuilding dramatically declined: shipyards on the Wear went from 15 in 1921 to six in 1937.<ref name="ShipbuildingFS1" /> The small yards of J. Blumer & Son (at North Dock) and the Sunderland Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. (at Hudson Dock) both closed in the 1920s, and other yards were closed down by [[National Shipbuilders Securities]] in the 1930s.<ref>[http://www.searlecanada.org/sunderland/sunderland037.html Map, with dates]</ref>

By 1936 Sunderland AFC had been league champions on six occasions. They won their first [[FA Cup]] in [[1937 FA Cup Final|1937]].

[[File:Wearmouth Bridge to the Sea 2nd March 1967.jpg|thumbnail|left|Sunderland viewed from above in 1967]]
With the outbreak of [[World War II]] in 1939, Sunderland was a key target of the [[Germany|German]] [[Luftwaffe]] bombing. Luftwaffe raids resulted in the deaths of 267 people and destruction of local industry<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/local-news/ten-interesting-facts-about-sunderland-1342150|title=Ten interesting facts about Sunderland|first=Evening|last=Chronicle|date=1 January 2012|access-date=4 August 2017}}</ref> while 4,000 homes were also damaged or destroyed.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H8wVBgAAQBAJ&q=4000+homes+damaged+Sunderland&pg=PA1943|title=Sunderland in 100 Dates|isbn=9780750963244|last1=Woodhouse|first1=Robert|date=2 February 2015|publisher=The History Press }}</ref>

Many old buildings remain despite the bombing that occurred during World War II.<ref>{{cite news |title=Rare images recall wartime blitz |work=BBC News |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/wear/4434123.stm |access-date=18 January 2007 | date=12 April 2005}}</ref> Religious buildings include Holy Trinity Church, built in 1719 for an independent Sunderland, St Michael's Church, built as Bishopwearmouth Parish Church and now known as [[Sunderland Minster]] and St Peter's Church, Monkwearmouth, part of which dates from 674{{nbsp}}AD, and was the original monastery. [[St Andrew's Church, Roker]], known as the "Cathedral of the [[Arts and Crafts Movement]]", contains work by [[William Morris]], [[Ernest Gimson]] and [[Eric Gill]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.sunderlandecho.com/daily/Roker39s-39cathedral-of-arts-and.1392538.jp|title=Roker's 'cathedral of arts and crafts' |access-date=3 April 2008 |author=Sarah Stoner |work=Sunderland Echo |year=2006}}</ref> [[St Mary's Church, Sunderland|St Mary's Catholic Church]] is the earliest surviving Gothic revival church in the city.<ref>[http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-391394-church-of-st-mary-and-attached-railings-#.VmxkFxorKqA Church of St Mary and Attached Railings, Sunderland] from British listed buildings, retrieved 12 December 2015</ref> After the war, more housing was built and the town's boundaries expanded in 1967 when neighbouring [[Ryhope]], [[Silksworth]], [[Herrington]], [[South Hylton]] and [[Castletown, Tyne and Wear|Castletown]] were incorporated. Sunderland AFC won their only post-[[World War II]] major honour in 1973 when they won a [[1973 FA Cup Final|second FA Cup]].

Shipbuilding ended in 1988 and coal-mining in 1993 after a mid-1980s unemployment crisis with 20 per cent of the local workforce unemployed.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=U4JWAAAAIBAJ&pg=1235,602714&dq=britain+million+unemployment&hl=en|title=The Leader-Post – Google News Archive Search|website=news.google.com|access-date=4 August 2017}}</ref>
[[File:NMUK.JPG|thumb|right|upright=1.5|Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK Ltd in Sunderland. Factory complex, including wind turbines, taken from Penshaw Monument.]]
Electronic, chemical, paper and motor manufacturing as well as the service sector expanded during the 1980s and 1990s to fill unemployment from heavy industry.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sunderlandecho.com/daily/A-good-little-runner-.1616180.jp|title=A Good Little Runner|access-date=3 April 2008 |author=Kevin Clark|year=2006|work=Sunderland Echo}}</ref> In 1986 Japanese car manufacturer [[Nissan]] opened its [[Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK]] factory in Washington, which has since become the UK's largest car factory.<ref name="telegraph.co.uk">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/car-manufacturers/nissan/9753733/The-history-of-Nissans-Sunderland-factory.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/car-manufacturers/nissan/9753733/The-history-of-Nissans-Sunderland-factory.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=The history of Nissan's Sunderland factory |work=The Daily telegraph |location=London |access-date=3 June 2016}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

===City status <span class="anchor" id="City status"></span> ===
Sunderland received city status in 1992.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.localhistories.org/sunderland.html|title=A History of Sunderland|work=localhistories.org|date=14 March 2021}}</ref> Like many cities, Sunderland comprises a number of areas with their own distinct histories, [[Fulwell, Sunderland|Fulwell]], Monkwearmouth, [[Roker]], and [[Southwick, Sunderland|Southwick]] on the northern side of the Wear, and Bishopwearmouth and [[Hendon, Sunderland|Hendon]] to the south. From 1990, the Wear's riverbanks were regenerated with new housing, retail parks and business centres on former shipbuilding sites; the [[National Glass Centre]] a new [[University of Sunderland]] campus on the [[St Peter's, Sunderland|St Peter's site]] were also built. The former [[Vaux Breweries]] site on the north west fringe of the city centre was cleared for further development opportunities.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/Centre-will-be-a-glass.817088.jp|title=Centre will be a glass act again|access-date=3 April 2008|author=Laura White|year=2004|archive-date=25 January 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090125122303/http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/Centre-will-be-a-glass.817088.jp|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/Sir-Tom-gets-own-campus.598289.jp|title=Sir Tom gets own campus!|access-date=3 April 2008|work=Sunderland Echo|year=2002|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090201083138/http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/Sir-Tom-gets-own-campus.598289.jp|archive-date=1 February 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/HAVE-YOUR-SAY-ON-VAUX.589897.jp|title=Have your say on Vaux site|access-date=3 April 2008 |work=Sunderland Echo |year=2003}}</ref>

After 99 years at the historic [[Roker Park]] stadium,<ref>[http://www.safc.com/page/PreviousGroundsDetail/0,,10281~1697691,00.html]  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100901082800/http://www.safc.com/page/PreviousGroundsDetail/0%2C%2C10281~1697691%2C00.html|date=1 September 2010}}</ref> the city's football club, [[Sunderland AFC]] moved to the 42,000-seat [[Stadium of Light]] on the banks of the River Wear in 1997. At the time, it was the largest stadium built by an English football club since the 1920s, and has since been expanded to hold nearly 50,000 seated spectators.<ref>[http://www.safc.com/page/PreviousGroundsDetail/0,,10281~1697689,00.html]  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100901082756/http://www.safc.com/page/PreviousGroundsDetail/0%2C%2C10281~1697689%2C00.html|date=1 September 2010}}</ref>

On 24 March 2004, the city adopted Benedict Biscop as its [[patron saint]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/Saint-that-nice--our.918420.jp|title=Saint that nice – our own patron|access-date=3 April 2008 |work=Sunderland Echo |year=2005}}</ref> In 2018 the city was ranked as the best to live and work in the UK by the finance firm OneFamily.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/business/business-news/sunderland-ranked-best-city-live-15393813|title = Is Sunderland the best UK city to live in?|date = 9 November 2018}}</ref> In the same year, the city was ranked as one of the top 10 safest in the UK.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/sunderland-ranked-top-ten-safest-places-live-uk-why-348371|title=Sunderland ranked in the top ten safest places to live in the UK – this is why|date=2 October 2018 }}</ref>

==Government==
{{main|Sunderland City Council}}
[[File:City Hall Sunderland.png|thumb|[[City Hall]], meeting place of the City Council]]
Sunderland is a [[metropolitan borough]] with [[City status in the United Kingdom|city status]], governed by [[Sunderland City Council]]. There are three [[civil parish]]es within the city boundaries, at [[Hetton-le-Hole#Civil parish|Hetton]], [[Burdon]], and [[Warden Law]], which form an additional tier of local government for their areas. The rest of the city is an [[unparished area]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Election Maps |url=https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/election-maps/gb/ |publisher=Ordnance Survey |access-date=29 March 2024}}</ref>

The city council is based at [[City Hall, Sunderland|City Hall]] on Plater Way (formerly the site of the Vaux Brewery), which opened in 2021.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wheeler |first1=Katy |title=Exclusive - a first look inside Sunderland's new £42m City Hall |url=https://www.sunderlandecho.com/business/exclusive-a-first-look-inside-sunderlands-new-ps42m-city-hall-3471829 |access-date=2 April 2024 |work=Sunderland Echo |date=25 November 2021}}</ref> Prior to that the council was based at the [[Sunderland Civic Centre|Civic Centre]] on Burdon Road, which had been built in 1970.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cordner |first1=Chris |title=13 golden memories of Sunderland as it looked in 1970 - but how many scenes do you remember? |url=https://www.sunderlandecho.com/heritage-and-retro/retro/13-golden-memories-of-sunderland-in-1970-2506122 |access-date=2 April 2024 |work=Sunderland Echo |date=23 March 2020}}</ref>

===Administrative history===
[[File:Durham - John Speed Map.jpg|thumb|alt=Historic map of County Durham.|Historic map of County Durham. Sunderland was part of [[County Durham]] until the local government changes in 1974.]]
The original settlement of Sunderland was historically part of the [[ancient parish]] of Bishopwearmouth in County Durham. It was an [[ancient borough]], having been granted a charter in 1179 under the name of 'Wearmouth'.<ref name=Simpson1999/> The original borough covered a relatively small area in the north-east corner of the old Bishopwearmouth parish, lying on the south side of the mouth of the River Wear. The borough was granted a further charter in 1634 which gave it the right to appoint a mayor and incorporated the town under the name of Sunderland rather than Wearmouth.<ref name=Morton1634/><ref name=commissioners>{{cite book |title=Report of the Commissioners Appointed to Inquire into the Municipal Corporations in England and Wales: Appendix 3 |date=1835 |page=1734 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N3FTAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA1734 |access-date=2 April 2024}}</ref> The area of the borough was made a separate parish from Bishopwearmouth by an act of parliament in 1719.<ref name=1719act>{{cite book |last1=Barton |first1=Henry D. |title=The Law Journal Reports |date=1859 |page=234 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6RMtAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA234 |access-date=2 April 2024}}</ref>

The ancient borough's powers were relatively modest. Unlike most such boroughs, it did not hold its own courts, nor did it have any meaningful municipal functions.<ref name=commissioners/> A separate body of [[improvement commissioners]] was established in 1810 with responsibilities to pave, light and clean the streets, provide a [[watchman (law enforcement)|watch]], and improve the market.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sunderland Improvement, Market and River Wear Watch Act 1810 |url=https://vlex.co.uk/vid/sunderland-improvement-market-and-808199881 |access-date=2 April 2024}}</ref> In 1832 a [[parliamentary borough]] (constituency) of [[Sunderland (UK Parliament constituency)|Sunderland]] was created, covering the parishes or townships of Sunderland, Bishopwearmouth, Bishopwearmouth Panns, Monkwearmouth, Monkwearmouth Shore and Southwick.<ref>{{cite book |title=Parliamentary Boundaries Act |date=1832 |page=343 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Uq0uAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA343 |access-date=2 April 2024}}</ref>

In 1836 Sunderland was reformed to become a [[municipal borough]] under the [[Municipal Corporations Act 1835]], which standardised how most boroughs operated across the country.<ref>{{cite book |title=Municipal Corporations Act |date=1835 |page=458 |url=https://archive.org/details/statutesunitedk35britgoog/page/458/mode/2up |access-date=2 April 2024}}</ref> The municipal boundaries were enlarged at the same time to match the constituency, although later that year the municipal boundaries were reduced to remove Southwick and the parts of Bishopwearmouth and Bishopwearmouth Panns which fell more than one mile from the centre of Wearmouth Bridge.<ref>{{cite book |title=An Act to make temporary provision for the boundaries of certain boroughs |date=1836 |page=1146 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CqoNAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA1146 |access-date=2 April 2024}}</ref> The improvement commissioners were wound up in 1851 and their functions transferred to the council.<ref name=1867act/>

When elected county councils were established in 1889, Sunderland was considered large enough to provide its own county-level services, and so it was made a [[county borough]], independent from the new [[Durham County Council]].<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government Act 1888|year=1888|chapter=41}}</ref> The borough boundaries were enlarged on several occasions, notably in 1867,<ref name=1867act>{{cite web |title=Sunderland Extension and Improvement Act 1867 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Vict/30-31/117/contents/enacted |website=legislation.gov.uk |publisher=The National Archives |access-date=2 April 2024}}</ref> 1928 (when it gained areas including [[Fulwell, Sunderland|Fulwell]], [[Southwick, Sunderland|Southwick]] and the remainder of the old Bishopwearmouth parish), 1936, 1951, and 1967 (when it gained [[North Hylton]], [[South Hylton]], [[Ryhope]], [[Silksworth]], and [[Tunstall, Sunderland|Tunstall]]).<ref>{{cite web |title=Sunderland Municipal Borough / County Borough |url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10136830#tab02 |website=A Vision of Britain through Time |publisher=GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth |access-date=2 April 2024}}</ref>

In 1974 the county borough was replaced by a larger metropolitan borough within the new county of Tyne and Wear. The borough gained [[Hetton-le-Hole]], [[Houghton-le-Spring]], [[Washington, Tyne and Wear|Washington]], [[Burdon]], and [[Warden Law]].<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government Act 1972|year=1972|chapter=70|schedule=1|access-date=25 March 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Metropolitan Districts (Names) Order 1973|year=1973|number=137}}</ref>

From 1974 until 1986 the borough council was a lower-tier district authority, with [[Tyne and Wear County Council]] providing county-level services. The county council was abolished in 1986, with the borough council taking on county-level functions. Some functions are provided across Tyne and Wear by joint committees with the other districts. The county of Tyne and Wear continues to exist as a [[ceremonial county]] for the purposes of lieutenancy, but has had no administrative functions since 1986.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Local Government Act 1985|year=1985|chapter=51|access-date=29 March 2024}}</ref> The borough of Sunderland was awarded city status in 1992.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=52874|page=5413|date=26 March 1992}}</ref>

Between 2014 and 2024, Sunderland was part of the [[North East Combined Authority (2014–2024)|North East Combined Authority]]. Since 2024 the council has been a member of the [[North East Mayoral Combined Authority]], which replaced the previous combined authority.<ref>{{Cite web |title=North East devolution deal |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/north-east-devolution-deal--2 |access-date=29 March 2024 |website=gov.uk |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The North East Mayoral Combined County Authority (Establishment and Functions) Order 2024|year=2024|number=402|access-date=6 May 2024}}</ref>

=== UK Parliament ===
{{As of |2024}} Sunderland is represented in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] in the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]] by three Labour Members of Parliament; [[Bridget Phillipson]] since 2020, [[Lewis Atkinson]] since 2024 and [[Sharon Hodgson]] since 2005.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
![[Houghton and Sunderland South (UK Parliament constituency)|Houghton and Sunderland South]]
![[Sunderland Central (UK Parliament constituency)|Sunderland Central]]
![[Washington and Gateshead South (UK Parliament constituency)|Washington and Gateshead South]]
|-
|[[Bridget Phillipson]]
|[[Lewis Atkinson]]
|[[Sharon Hodgson]]
|-
|[[File:Official portrait of Bridget Phillipson MP crop 2.jpg|frameless|200px]]
|[[File:Official portrait of Lewis Atkinson MP crop 2.jpg|frameless|200px]]
|[[File:Official portrait of Mrs Sharon Hodgson MP crop 2.jpg|frameless|200px]]
|-
|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]
|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]
|[[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]]
|}

=== EU referendum ===

Sunderland voted for [[Brexit]] in the [[2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum|2016 referendum on European Union membership]] by 61% of the vote; an unexpectedly high margin.<ref>{{cite web |last=Lindsay |first=Kali |date=31 January 2020 |title=How the world reacted when Sunderland voted to leave the European Union |url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/how-world-reacted-sunderland-voted-17654528 |access-date=6 March 2020 |website=nechronicle}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Freytas-Tamura |first=Kimiko de |date=27 June 2016 |title=Pro-'Brexit' City of Sunderland Glad to Poke Establishment in the Eye |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/28/world/europe/european-union-brexit-sunderland-britain-cameron.html |access-date=6 March 2020 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The ''[[New Statesman]]'' and ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' have described Sunderland as the [[Poster child|poster city]] for Brexit.<ref>{{cite web |date=8 July 2016 |title=How Sunderland became a poster child for Brexit |url=https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/staggers/2016/07/how-sunderland-became-poster-child-brexit |access-date=6 March 2020 |website=www.newstatesman.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Wallace |first=Tim |date=6 December 2019 |title=Special report: Sunderland aiming to be the 'poster city for Brexit' |language=en-GB |work=The Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2019/12/06/special-report-sunderland-aiming-poster-city-brexit/ |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |access-date=6 March 2020 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2019/12/06/special-report-sunderland-aiming-poster-city-brexit/ |archive-date=11 January 2022 |issn=0307-1235}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

==Geography==
{{wide image|Sunderland panoramic riverside.jpg|1200px|Sunderland riverside at sunset}}
{{See also|List of places in Sunderland}}
[[File:Wearmouth Bridge, Sunderland.jpg|thumb|right|The Wearmouth Bridge (right) and railway bridge (left). This road was the route of the old A19, now it is the A1018.]]
Much of the city is located on a low range of hills running parallel to the coast. On average, it is around 80 metres [[Above mean sea level|above sea level]]. Sunderland is divided by the River Wear which passes through the middle of the city in a deeply incised valley, part of which is known as the Hylton gorge. Several smaller bodies of water, such as [[Hendon Burn]] and the Barnes Burn, run through the suburbs. The three road bridges connecting the north and south portions of the city are the [[Queen Alexandra Bridge]] at Pallion, the [[Wearmouth Bridge]] just to the north of the city centre and most recently the [[Northern Spire Bridge]] between Castletown and Pallion. A pedestrian and cycle bridge called the [[Keel Crossing]] was constructed between 2023 and 2025.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wheeler |first=Katy |date=31 July 2025 |title=Sunderland's new Keel Crossing set to temporarily open for sports fans |url=https://www.sunderlandecho.com/business/keel-crossing-set-to-temporarily-open-for-sports-fans-5251724 |access-date=31 July 2025 |work=The Sunderland Echo}}</ref> To the west of the city, the [[Hylton Viaduct]] carries the [[A19 road|A19]] dual-carriageway over the Wear (see map below).

The city has a number of public parks. Several of these are historic, including [[Mowbray Park]], [[Roker Park (park)|Roker Park]] and [[Barnes Park]]. In the early 2000s, [[Herrington Country Park]] was opened opposite [[Penshaw Monument]]. The city's parks have secured several awards for its commitment to preserving natural facilities, receiving the [[Britain in Bloom]] collective in 1993, 1997 and 2000.

Approximately 70% of the population of the built-up area lives on the south side of the river and 30% on the north side. The built-up area extends to the seafront at Hendon and Ryhope in the south and [[Seaburn]] in the north.

===Green belt===
{{main|North East Green Belt}}
The built-up area is surrounded by the Tyne and Wear Green Belt,<ref name="sunderland-belt">{{cite web|title=GREEN BELT REVIEW STAGE 1 – CORE STRATEGY GROWTH OPTIONS STAGE, MARCH 2016 |url=https://www.sunderland.gov.uk/media/18571/SD43-Sunderland-Green-Belt-Review-Stage-1-Core-Strategy-Growth-Options-Stge-March-2016-/pdf/SD43_Sunderland_Green_Belt_Review_Stage_1_-_Core_Strategy_Growth_Options_Stage_March_2016.pdf|website=www.sunderland.gov.uk}}</ref> with its portion in much of its surrounding rural area of the borough. It is a part of the local [[development plan]], of which its stated aims<ref name="sunderland-belt"/> are as follows:

{{blockquote|A Green Belt will be maintained which will:-

(i) Check the unrestricted sprawl of the built up area of Sunderland;<br />
(ii) Assist in safeguarding the city's countryside from further encroachment;<br />
(iii) Assist in the regeneration of the urban area of the city;<br />
(iv) Preserve the setting and special character of Springwell Village;<br />
(iv) Prevent the merging of Sunderland with Tyneside, Washington, Houghton-le-Spring and Seaham, and the merging of Shiney Row with Washington, Chester-le-Street and Bournmoor.}}

In the Sunderland borough boundary, as well as the aforementioned areas, landscape features and facilities such as much of the River Don and Wear basins, the George Washington Hotel Golf and Spa complex, Sharpley Golf Course, Herrington Country Park, Houghton Quarry and Penshaw Hill are within the green belt area.

===Climate===
Sunderland has a temperate [[oceanic climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Cfb''). Its location in the [[rain shadow]] of the [[Pennines]], as well as other mountain ranges to the west, such as those of the [[Lake District]] and southwestern Scotland, make Sunderland one of the least rainy cities of Northern England. The climate is heavily moderated by the adjacent [[North Sea]], giving it cool summers, and winters that are mild considering its latitude.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}} The closest weather station is in [[Tynemouth]], about {{convert|8|mi|km}} north of Sunderland. As a result, Sunderland's coastline is likely slightly milder given the more southerly position. Another relatively nearby weather station in [[Durham, England#Climate|Durham]] has warmer summer days and colder winter nights courtesy of its inland position.

{{Weather box
|location = Tynemouth, 1981–2010
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
| Jan high C = 7.2
| Feb high C = 7.3
| Mar high C = 9.0
| Apr high C = 10.3
| May high C = 12.7
| Jun high C = 15.6
| Jul high C = 18.1
| Aug high C = 18.1
| Sep high C = 16.1
| Oct high C = 13.2
| Nov high C = 9.7
| Dec high C = 7.4
|year high C = 12.1
| Jan low C = 2.2
| Feb low C = 2.2
| Mar low C = 3.3
| Apr low C = 4.8
| May low C = 7.2
| Jun low C = 10.0
| Jul low C = 12.3
| Aug low C = 12.3
| Sep low C = 10.4
| Oct low C = 7.7
| Nov low C = 4.9
| Dec low C = 2.5
|year low C = 6.7
| Jan precipitation mm = 45.5
| Feb precipitation mm = 37.8
| Mar precipitation mm = 43.9
| Apr precipitation mm = 45.4
| May precipitation mm = 43.2
| Jun precipitation mm = 51.9
| Jul precipitation mm = 47.6
| Aug precipitation mm = 59.6
| Sep precipitation mm = 53.0
| Oct precipitation mm = 53.6
| Nov precipitation mm = 62.8
| Dec precipitation mm = 52.9
|year precipitation mm = 597.2
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
| Jan precipitation days = 9.8
| Feb precipitation days = 7.6
| Mar precipitation days = 8.7
| Apr precipitation days = 8.2
| May precipitation days = 8.3
| Jun precipitation days = 8.7
| Jul precipitation days = 8.6
| Aug precipitation days = 9.2
| Sep precipitation days = 8.1
| Oct precipitation days = 10.7
| Nov precipitation days = 11.6
| Dec precipitation days = 10.1
|year precipitation days = 109.5
| Jan sun = 61.1
| Feb sun = 81.6
| Mar sun = 117.7
| Apr sun = 149.9
| May sun = 191.7
| Jun sun = 183.0
| Jul sun = 185.7
| Aug sun = 174.9
| Sep sun = 141.1
| Oct sun = 106.2
| Nov sun = 70.4
| Dec sun = 51.9
|year sun = 1515.0
|source 1 = [[Met Office]]<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/climate/gcz02e3x2| title = Sunderland climate information | access-date =23 December 2017|publisher = [[Met Office]]}}</ref>
|date=August 2015
}}

==Demography==
[[File:Sunderland pop pyramid.svg|thumb|Population pyramid of the City of Sunderland in 2020]]

=== 2021 census ===
At the 2021 census, the built-up area of Sunderland had a population of 168,315,<ref>{{cite web |title=Towns and cities, characteristics of built-up areas, England and Wales: Census 2021 |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/housing/articles/townsandcitiescharacteristicsofbuiltupareasenglandandwales/census2021 |website=Census 2021 |publisher=Office for National Statistics |access-date=3 March 2024}}</ref> and the wider borough had a population of 274,200.<ref name=borough2021>{{cite web |title=Population and household estimates, England and Wales: Census 2021 |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/bulletins/populationandhouseholdestimatesenglandandwales/census2021 |website=Office for National Statistics |access-date=3 March 2024}}</ref> The 2011 census had defined a much larger [[Wearside|Sunderland built-up area]] covering all the built-up areas in the borough and some areas beyond it, notably including [[Chester-le-Street]].

The table below compares Sunderland's ethnic make up to the [[North East England]] region.<ref>{{cite web|title = Sunderland – UK Census Data 2021|url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/visualisations/censusareachanges/E08000024/|website = UK Census Data|access-date = 30 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/sources/census_2021/report?compare=E12000001|title=North East – UK Census Data 2021|website=UK Census Data|access-date = 30 December 2023}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!2021 Census Ethnic Groups
!White 
!Asian,Asian British,Asian Welsh
!Black,Black British,Black Welsh,Caribbean or African
!Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups
!Other ethnic groups
|-
|Sunderland 
|94.6%
|3.0%
|1.0%
|0.9%
|0.5%
|-
|[[North East England]]
|93.0%
|3.7%
|1.0%
|1.3%
|1.0%
|}

The majority of the [[BAME]] population live in Sunderland East – more specifically Hendon and Millfield where there is a larger population of Bangladeshi/Bangladeshi British and Indian/Indian British than elsewhere. There is also a significant Chinese population in these areas. Sunderland West has a population of Indian, Pakistani and other Asian ethnicities. Sunderland North has a substantial Chinese population, notably in St.Peter's. This is believed to be influenced by the student
population in which:
* 147 nationalities are represented
* 51.27% students are White, 13.92% Asian, 12.78% Asian Other and 5.12% Black African, with other ethnicities in much smaller numbers

While BAME populations are more concentrated in some areas within Sunderland, ethnic diversity is too low in the city to determine if any groups are particularly segregated.<ref>{{cite web |title=Understanding Inequalities and Integration |url=https://www.sunderland.gov.uk/media/21082/Understanding-inequalities-and-integration/pdf/Understanding_inequalities_and_integration.pdf?m=1547214630037 |website=Sunderland Council |access-date=30 December 2023}}</ref>

===Religion===

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Hierarchy<ref name=rcdhn2017>{{cite web | url = http://www.rcdhn.org.uk/churches07/churchtowns.php | title = RCDHN | website = rcdhn.org.uk| access-date = 29 January 2017 }}</ref> 
! Denomination
! Top tier !! 2nd !! 3rd !! 4th
|-
| [[Church of England]] || [[Province of York]] || [[Diocese of Durham]] || [[Archdeaconry of Sunderland]] || Deanery of Wearmouth
|-
| [[Roman Catholic]] || [[Archdiocese of Liverpool]] || [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle|Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle]]
|colspan=2| Sunderland and East Durham Vicariate
|-
| [[Organisation of the Methodist Church of Great Britain#List of districts and circuits|Methodist]]
|colspan=2|District of Newcastle-upon-Tyne
|colspan=2|Circuit of Sunderland
|}
The 2011 census recorded that 70.2% of the population identified as Christian, 1.32% as Muslim, 0.29% as Sikh, 0.22% as Hindu, 0.19% as Buddhist, 0.02% as Jewish, and 21.90% as having no religion.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ukcensusdata.com/sunderland-e08000024#sthash.8BxUZ8zv.dpbs|title=Sunderland – UK Census Data 2011|last=Services|first=Good Stuff IT|website=UK Census Data|access-date=6 October 2017}}</ref>

The Stake Center for the Sunderland Stake of [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints]] is in Sunderland.

Jewish heritage in the city, once part of a thriving community, can be dated back to around 1750, when a number of Jewish merchants from across the UK and Europe settled in Sunderland,<ref name=":1" /> eventually forming a congregation in 1768. A [[rabbi]] from [[Holland]] was established in the city in 1790. After a rapid growth in numbers during the latter half of the nineteenth century, the Jewish community in Sunderland reached its height in the mid-1930s, when around 2,000 Jews were recorded to be living in the town.<ref name=":1">{{cite web|url=http://www.seligman.org.il/sunderland_jews.html|title=Sunderland Jews|last=Seligman|first=Jon|website=www.seligman.org.il|access-date=5 October 2017}}</ref> The community has been in slow decline since the mid-20th century. Many Sunderland Jews left for stronger Jewish communities in Britain, including Gateshead,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sunderlandecho.com/heritage-and-retro/heritage/see-inside-sunderland-synagogue-as-we-look-into-the-history-of-the-spectacular-building-which-closed-in-2006-3245642|title = See inside Sunderland Synagogue as we look into the history of the spectacular building| date=23 May 2021 }}</ref> or to Israel.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.999sunderland.com/ |title=999 Sunderland |access-date=1 June 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070912072202/http://www.999sunderland.com/ |archive-date=12 September 2007 }}</ref> The Jewish primary school, the Menorah School, closed in July 1983, and the [[Sunderland Talmudical College|yeshiva]] moved to Gateshead in June 1988.<ref>{{Cite web |title=JCR-UK: Sunderland Yeshiva and former Sunderland Yeshiva Synagogue (Sunderland later Newcastle), Tyne & Wear, N.E. England |url=https://www.jewishgen.org/jcr-uk/community/sunderland3/index.htm |access-date=2024-10-01 |website=www.jewishgen.org}}</ref> The [[Sunderland Synagogue|synagogue]] on Ryhope Road, opened in 1928, closed at the end of March 2006.<ref name="news.bbc.co.uk">{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/local/wear/hi/people_and_places/religion_and_ethics/newsid_8197000/8197862.stm|title=BBC – Wear – Jewish community gradually fades|date=12 August 2009|work=BBC News|access-date=3 June 2016}}</ref> (See also [[History of the Jews in North East England]].) The Jewish population of the Sunderland Metropolitan Borough is continually diminishing, as the Jewish population fell from 114 people in 2001, to 87 people in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Custom report - Nomis - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics |url=https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/sources/census_2021/report?compare=E08000024#section_5 |access-date=2024-10-01 |website=www.nomisweb.co.uk}}</ref>

In 1998, following the grant of city status to Sunderland, the erstwhile [[parish church]] of Bishopwearmouth (St Michael's) was redesignated as [[Sunderland Minster]] with a city-wide role. It was believed to have been the first creation of a [[Minster (church)|minster church]] in England since the [[Reformation in England|Reformation]].<ref name="JohnsonPotts2013" />

====Pentecostalism====
The Reverend [[Alexander Boddy]] (1854–1930) was appointed vicar of [[All Saints' Church, Monkwearmouth]] in 1884. During his ministry at Monkwearmouth, Boddy was influenced by the [[1904–1905 Welsh revival]] and also by the British-born Norwegian preacher [[Thomas Ball Barratt]]. In the early years of the 20th century All Saints, Monkwearmouth became an important centre for the development of the Pentecostal Movement in Britain.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.anglicannews.org/news/2014/04/historic-anglican,-pentecostal-consultation-a-flying-start.aspx |title=Historic Anglican, Pentecostal consultation "a flying start" |publisher=Anglicannews.org |date=2014-04-10 |accessdate=2022-02-27}}</ref>

==Economy==
{{Further|List of companies in the City of Sunderland}}
Following the industrial decline of the 1970s to early 1980s and collapse of the local shipbuilding industry, Sunderland's mid-1980s economic situation began to improve. Japanese car manufacturer [[Nissan]] opened the [[Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK]] factory in 1986, and the first [[Nissan Bluebird]] car was produced later that year.<ref name="telegraph.co.uk"/> The factory and its supplier companies remain the largest employers in the region, with current cars produced there including the [[Nissan Qashqai]], the [[Nissan Juke]] and the electric [[Nissan Leaf|Nissan LEAF]]. As of 2012 over 500,000 cars are produced annually, and it is the UK's largest car factory.<ref name="telegraph.co.uk"/>

Also in the late 1980s, new [[Service industry|service industries]] moved into sites such as the [[Doxford International Business Park]] in the south west of the city, attracting national and international companies. Sunderland was named in the shortlist of the top seven "intelligent cities" in the world for the use of [[information technology]], in 2004 and 2005.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/Pages/press/pritem.asp?Id=1021 |title=Top of the World |publisher=Sunderland City Council |date=20 January 2005 |access-date=9 December 2006 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070312062944/http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/Pages/press/pritem.asp?Id=1021 <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 12 March 2007}}</ref>

===Regeneration===
Since the mid-1980s Sunderland has undergone massive regeneration,{{citation needed|date=July 2015}} particularly around the [[Sunderland City Centre|City Centre]] and the river corridor.

In 2000, [[the Bridges]] [[shopping mall|shopping centre]] was extended towards Crowtree Road and the former Central [[Bus station|Bus Station]], attracting national [[chain store]]s. This was followed by adjacent redevelopments on Park Lane.

The former shipyards along the Wear were transformed with a mixture of residential, commercial and leisure facilities including St Peter's Campus of the University of Sunderland, university accommodation along the Fish Quay on the South side of the river, the North Haven housing and marina development, the [[National Glass Centre]], the [[Stadium of Light]] and Hylton Riverside Retail Park. Also in 2007, the Echo 24 luxury apartments opened on Pann's Bank overlooking the river.

Sunderland Corporation's massive post-war housing estate developments at [[Farringdon, Sunderland|Farringdon]], [[Pennywell]] and [[Grindon, Sunderland|Grindon]] have all passed into the ownership of Gentoo Group (previously 'Sunderland Housing Group'), a private company and a [[Registered Social Landlord]].

The Port of Sunderland, owned by the city council, has been allocated for medium-term redevelopment with a focus on mixed-use industry.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sunderlandarc.co.uk/portofsunderland/ |title=Port of Sunderland |date=1 January 2006 |access-date=10 March 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090227122242/http://www.sunderlandarc.co.uk/portofsunderland/ |archive-date=27 February 2009 }}</ref>

Sunderland City Council's Unitary Development Plan (UDP) outlines a number of sites around the city for regeneration.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/public/editable/themes/environment/planningandenvironment/planningpolicy/udp/udp/udphome-page.asp |title=Sunderland Unitary Development Plan |date=6 January 2009 |access-date=10 March 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090330043523/http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/Public/Editable/Themes/Environment/PlanningandEnvironment/PlanningPolicy/UDP/UDP/udphome-page.asp |archive-date=30 March 2009 }}</ref> The plans are supported by [[Sunderland Arc]], an urban regeneration company funded by the City council, [[One NorthEast]] (defunct) and the [[Homes and Communities Agency]].

; Sunniside
[[File:Former Post Office, Sunderland - geograph.org.uk - 6167258.jpg|thumb|The former General Post Office building on Sunniside Gardens in 2019]]
In 2004, redevelopment work began in the Sunniside area in the east-end of the city centre, including a [[multiplex cinema]], a [[multi-storey car park]], restaurants, a [[casino]] and [[tenpin bowling]]. Originally the River Quarter, the site was renamed Limelight in 2005, and renamed in 2008, when it became Sunniside Leisure. Sunniside Gardens were landscaped, and a number of new cafes, bars and restaurants were opened. Up-market residential apartments were developed, including the Echo 24 building.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sunderlandarc.co.uk/sunniside/ |title=Sunniside |publisher=[[Sunderland arc]]|date=6 January 2009 |access-date=10 March 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090226232909/http://www.sunderlandarc.co.uk/sunniside/ |archive-date=26 February 2009 }}</ref>

;Vaux development and Keel Square
[[File:Keel Square.jpg|thumb|Keel Square in 2017]]
Following the closure of the [[Vaux Breweries|Vaux brewery]] in 1999, a {{convert|26|acre|ha|adj=on|abbr=off}} [[brownfield land|brownfield site]] lay dormant in the centre of Sunderland. The land was subject to dispute between supermarket chain [[Tesco]], who bought the site in 2001, and Sunderland arc, who submitted plans for its redevelopment in 2002.<ref name="Vaux Site FAQ">{{cite news |url=http://www.vauxsite.co.uk/faqs.aspx |title=Vaux Site FAQ |date=4 March 2008 |access-date=10 March 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090226201305/http://www.vauxsite.co.uk/faqs.aspx |archive-date=26 February 2009 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> During formal negotiations, Tesco stated they would be willing to sell the land to arc, if an alternative city centre site could be found. Possibilities include Holmeside Triangle, and the Sunderland Retail Park in Roker. Arc originally hoped to begin development in 2010.<ref name="Vaux Site FAQ"/> Arc's plans for the site were approved by the Secretary of State in 2007, and included extensive office space, [[hotel]]s, leisure and retail units, residential apartments and a new £50&nbsp;m [[Crown Court|Crown]] and [[Magistrates' court]], along with a central public arcade located under an expansive glass canopy. It was hoped an "[[evening economy]]" could be encouraged, to complement the city's nightlife.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.vauxsite.co.uk/this-is-the-opportunity.aspx |title=Vaux Site Opportunity |date=4 March 2008 |access-date=10 March 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090226201316/http://www.vauxsite.co.uk/this-is-the-opportunity.aspx |archive-date=26 February 2009 }}</ref> In 2013 in the area opposite the Vaux site, Sunderland City Council announced the [[Keel Square]] project, a new public space designed to commemorate Sunderand's maritime heritage, which was completed in May 2015.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/business/images-of-sunderland-s-new-11-8million-square-1-6149182|title=Images of Sunderland's new £11.8million square|date=16 October 2013|access-date=9 August 2014 |publisher=Sunderland Echo}}</ref> Construction commenced in 2014.

;Stadium Village

[[Sunderland A.F.C.]] has been a major symbol of the area and a contributor to the local economy since the late 19th century. The club was one of the most successful and best supported clubs in the English game during this era, with its home at [[Roker Park]] holding more than 70,000 spectators at its peak. However, the [[FA Cup]] triumph of 1973 would prove to be the club's only postwar major trophy to date, and after its relegation in 1958 the club frequently bounced between the top two divisions of English football, and in 1987 and again in 2018 suffered relegation to the third tier of English football. The club played at Roker Park for 99 years until the completion of the new [[Stadium of Light]] at [[Monkwearmouth]] on the banks of the [[River Wear]] in 1997. The new stadium seated more than 42,000 on its completion, and has since been expanded to hold some 49,000 spectators. Sunderland's relatively high attendances have been a major boost to the local economy – averaging at more than 30,000 even during the club's most recent spell in the third tier of English football.

Redevelopment of the Monkwearmouth Colliery site, which sits on the north bank of the river Wear opposite the Vaux site, began in the mid-1990s with the creation of the [[Stadium of Light]]. In 2008 the [[Sunderland Aquatic Centre]] opened adjacent to the Stadium of Light, containing the only [[Olympic-size swimming pool]] between [[Leeds]] and [[Edinburgh]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2015}} The Sheepfolds industrial estate occupies a large area of land between the Stadium and the [[Wearmouth Bridge]]. [[Sunderland Arc]] were in the process of purchasing land in the Sheepfolds, with a view to relocate the businesses and redevelop the site. The emphasis of development plans included further sporting facilities, in order to create a ''Sports Village''. Other plans included a hotel, residential accommodation, and a [[footbridge]] linking the site with the Vaux development.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sunderlandarc.co.uk/stadiumVillage/sheepfolds/index.aspx |title=Stadium Park Development |date=1 January 2006 |access-date=10 March 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071025004930/http://www.sunderlandarc.co.uk/stadiumVillage/sheepfolds/index.aspx |archive-date=25 October 2007 }}</ref>

;Grove and Transport Corridor
The Sunderland Strategic Transport Corridor (SSTC) is a proposed transport link from the A19, through the city centre, to the port. A major phase of the plan was the creation of a new bridge, the [[Northern Spire Bridge]], which links the [[A1231 road|A1231]] Wessington Way on the north of the river with the Grove site in Pallion, on the south of the river. In 2008, Sunderland City Council offered the residents of Sunderland the opportunity to vote on the design of the bridge. The choices were a {{Convert|180|m|ft|-1|adj=on}} iconic [[cable-stayed bridge]], which would result in a temporary increase in [[council tax]], or a simple [[road bridge|box structure]] which would be within the council's budget.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/newbridge/ |title=New Bridge |date=10 March 2008 |access-date=10 March 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091118050641/http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/newbridge/ |archive-date=18 November 2009 }}</ref> The results of the consultation were inconclusive, with residents keen to have an iconic bridge, but reluctant to have a subsequent increase in tax to fund it.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/Next-step-in-road-to.4747133.jp |title=Next step in road to iconic Wear bridge|date=1 December 2008 |access-date=10 March 2009}}</ref> Regardless of the ultimate design of the new bridge, the landing point will be the former Grove Cranes site in [[Pallion]]. Plans for this site focus around the creation of a new residential area, with homes, community buildings, commercial and retail space.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sunderlandarc.co.uk/groves/ |title=Gorve Site |date=1 January 2006 |access-date=10 March 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090226232800/http://www.sunderlandarc.co.uk/groves/ |archive-date=26 February 2009 }}</ref>

===Former===
====Major====
[[File:The Shipbuilding Industry in Britain, 1914-1918 Q20119.jpg|thumbnail|left|A group of boys who worked on the construction of a Standard ship at a yard in Sunderland during the First World War]]
[[File:Radiant II is launched into the River Wear (14508024713).jpg|thumb|right|A ship (''Radiant II'') launched into the River Wear by [[Austin & Pickersgill]], 29 March 1961]]
Once hailed as the "Largest Shipbuilding Town in the World",<ref>{{cite web|title=History of Shipbuilding in the North East|work=BBC|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/nationonfilm/topics/ship-building/background.shtml|access-date=18 January 2007}}</ref> ships were built on the Wear from at least 1346<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/wear/content/articles/2008/01/16/shipbuilding_has_been_20_years_feature.shtml|title=History of shipbuilding on Wearside|website=Bbc.co.uk|access-date=4 August 2017}}</ref> onwards and by the mid-18th century Sunderland was one of the chief shipbuilding towns in the country. [[Sunderland Docks]] was the home of operations for the [[shipbuilding]] industry on [[Wearside]]. The Port of Sunderland was significantly expanded in the 1850s with the construction of Hudson Dock to designs by River Wear Commissioner's Engineer John Murray, with consultancy by [[Robert Stephenson]].<ref>{{cite web|title=SINE Project: Structure details for South Dock: Hudson Dock|work=University of Newcastle upon Tyne|url=http://www.sine.ncl.ac.uk/view_structure_information.asp?struct_id=505|access-date=22 November 2006|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060616184050/http://www.sine.ncl.ac.uk/view_structure_information.asp?struct_id=505|archive-date=16 June 2006}}</ref> One famous vessel was the [[Torrens (clipper ship)|''Torrens'']], the clipper in which [[Joseph Conrad]] sailed,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/opinion/the-clipper-ship-torrens-1-1147795|title=The clipper ship Torrens|website=Sunderlandecho.com|access-date=4 August 2017|archive-date=5 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805015610/http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/opinion/the-clipper-ship-torrens-1-1147795|url-status=dead}}</ref> and on which he began his first novel.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/rmgc-object-67031 |title=Torrens (1875); Cargo vessel &#124; Royal Museums Greenwich |publisher=Rmg.co.uk |date= |accessdate=2022-02-27}}</ref> She was one of the most famous ships of her time<ref>{{cite web|url=https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/PRG+1373/2/22 |title=The 'Torrens' at Port Adelaide • Photograph • State Library of South Australia |publisher=Collections.slsa.sa.gov.au |date=2007-06-14 |accessdate=2022-02-27}}</ref> and can claim to be the finest ship ever launched from a Sunderland yard. {{citation needed|date=November 2015}}
[[File:An Aerial view of Sunderland (9105585273).jpg|left|thumb|[[Sunderland Docks]] in 1969]]
Between 1939 and 1945 the Wear yards launched 245 merchant ships totalling 1.5 million tons, a quarter of the merchant tonnage produced in the UK at this period.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/nationonfilm/topics/ship-building/background.shtml|title=BBC – Nation on Film – Shipbuilding – Background|website=Bbc.co.uk|access-date=4 August 2017}}</ref> Competition from overseas caused a downturn in demand for Sunderland built ships toward the end of the 20th century. The last shipyard in Sunderland closed on 7 December 1988.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Sunderland Public Library Service|title=LOCAL STUDIES CENTRE FACT SHEET NUMBER 10:Shipbuilding on the Wear: Part 1|url=http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=6958&p=0|access-date=27 August 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120902021657/http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=6958&p=0|archive-date=2 September 2012}}</ref>

Sunderland, part of the Durham coalfield, has a coal-mining heritage that dates back centuries. At its peak in 1923, 170,000 miners were employed in County Durham alone,<ref>{{cite web|title=Rise and Fall of Coal Mining|work=North East England History|url=http://www.northeastengland.talktalk.net/CoalMiningandRailways.htm|access-date=18 January 2007|archive-date=24 February 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070224015756/http://www.northeastengland.talktalk.net/CoalMiningandRailways.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> as labourers from all over Britain, including many from [[Scotland]] and [[Ireland]], entered the region. As demand for coal slipped following [[World War II]], mines began to close across the region, causing mass unemployment. The last [[coal mine]] closed in 1994.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sunderlandecho.com/lifestyle/retro/exhibition-digs-into-sunderland-s-mining-history-1-7374451|title=Exhibition digs into Sunderland's mining history|website=Sunderlandecho.com|access-date=4 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170911013557/http://www.sunderlandecho.com/lifestyle/retro/exhibition-digs-into-sunderland-s-mining-history-1-7374451|archive-date=11 September 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> The site of the last coal mine, [[Wearmouth Colliery]], is now occupied by the [[Stadium of Light]], and a miner's [[Davy lamp]] monument stands outside of the ground to honour the site's mining heritage. Documentation relating to the region's coalmining heritage are stored at the [[North East England Mining Archive and Resource Centre]] (NEEMARC).

====Minor====
[[File:Sunderland Liebherr Riverside.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Liebherr]] crane factory is the last remaining heavy industry on the River Wear in Sunderland.]]
As with the coal-mining and shipbuilding, overseas competition has forced the closure of all of Sunderland's glass-making factories. [[Corning Glass Works]], in Sunderland for 120 years, closed on 31 March 2007<ref>{{cite web
|title=End of an era as glass firm sets closure date
|work=[[The Northern Echo]]
|url=http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/business/news/display.var.1124976.0.end_of_era_as_glass_firm_sets_closure_date.php
|date=16 January 2007|access-date=18 January 2007}}</ref> and in January 2007, the [[Pyrex]] manufacturing site also closed,<ref>{{cite news|title=Energy costs close glass factory|work=[[BBC News]]|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wear/6271617.stm|date=17 January 2007|access-date=18 January 2007}}</ref> bringing to an end commercial glass-making in the city. However, there has been a modest rejuvenation with the opening of the [[National Glass Centre]] which, amongst other things, provides international glass makers with working facilities and a shop to showcase their work, predominantly in the artistic rather than functional field.

In 1855, [[John Candlish]] opened a bottleworks, producing glass bottles, with 6 sites at nearby [[Seaham]] and at Diamond Hall, Sunderland.

[[Vaux Breweries]] was established in the town centre in the 1880s and for 110 years was a major employer. Following a series of consolidations in the British [[Brewing industry]], however, the brewery was finally closed in July 1999.<ref>{{cite web|last=Journal |first=The |url=http://www.thejournal.co.uk/culture/restaurants-bars/painful-anniversary-vaux-brewery-sunderland-4480444 |title=Painful Anniversary for Vaux Brewery, Sunderland – journallive Administrator |publisher=The Journal |access-date=3 June 2016}}</ref> Vaux in Sunderland and [[Wards Brewing Company|Wards]] in [[Sheffield]] had been part of the Vaux Group, but with the closure of both breweries it was re-branded The Swallow Group, concentrating on the hotel side of the business. This was subject to a successful take-over by [[Whitbread|Whitbread PLC]] in the autumn of 2000.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Buckingham|first1=Lisa|date=22 November 1999|title=Whitbread in £550m bid for Swallow|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/1999/nov/22/12|access-date=15 June 2020|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> It is now a brownfield site and this is a derelict site in an urban area.

==Education==
{{See also|List of schools in Sunderland}}
[[File:University of Sunderland Sports Buildings, Chester Road - geograph.org.uk - 2079145.jpg|thumb|University of Sunderland]]
Sunderland Polytechnic was founded in 1969, becoming the [[University of Sunderland]] in 1992.<ref>{{cite news |title=University history |url=http://www.sunderland.ac.uk/university|work=Sunderland University |date=2 January 2008 |access-date=3 April 2008}}</ref> The institution currently has over 17,000 students.<ref>{{cite news|title=Facts, Figures, Accolades, the University's vision |url=http://www.sunderland.ac.uk/university/facts |work=Sunderland University |date=2 January 2008 |access-date=3 April 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080318005834/http://www.sunderland.ac.uk/university/facts/ |archive-date=18 March 2008 }}</ref> The university is split into two campuses; the City Campus (site of the original Polytechnic) is just to the west of the city centre, as is the main university library and the main administrative buildings. The 'Award-Winning' St Peter's Riverside Campus is located on the north banks of the river Wear, next to the National Glass Centre and houses the School of Business, Law and Psychology, as well as Computing and Technology and The Media Centre.<ref>{{cite news |title=The University |url=http://www.sunderland.ac.uk/university/campuses/ |work=Sunderland University, Our Campuses |date=2 January 2008 |access-date=3 April 2008 |archive-date=11 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150311205315/http://www.sunderland.ac.uk/university/campuses/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The University of Sunderland was named the top university in England for providing the best student experience by ''[[The Times Higher Education Supplement]]'' (THES) in 2006. Since 2001 Sunderland has been named the best new university in England by ''[[The Guardian]]'' and Government performance indicators showed Sunderland as the best new university in England for the quality, range and quantity of its research.<ref>{{cite news|title=Awards and Accolades 2007/8 |url=http://www.sunderland.ac.uk/university/facts/accolades |work=Sunderland University website |date=2 January 2008 |access-date=3 April 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080427134351/http://www.sunderland.ac.uk/university/facts/accolades/ |archive-date=27 April 2008 }}</ref>

[[Sunderland College]] is a [[further education]] establishment with campuses located at the Bede centre on [[A690|Durham Road]], Hylton, Doxford International Business Park and 'Phoenix House' in the city centre. It has over 14,000 students, and based on exam results is one of the most successful colleges.<ref>{{cite web |title=City of Sunderland College |url=http://www.citysun.ac.uk/opencms/opencms/website/home/pressoffice/factsandstatistics/index.html |access-date=18 January 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061207074028/http://www.citysun.ac.uk/opencms/opencms/website/home/pressoffice/factsandstatistics/index.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 7 December 2006}}</ref> St Peter's Sixth Form College, next to St Peter's Church and the university, opened in September 2008.<ref>{{cite news |title=Work begins on £6&nbsp;m campus college |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/wear/7168780.stm |work=BBC News |date=2 January 2008 |access-date=3 January 2008}}</ref> The college is a partnership between the three Sunderland North schools and City of Sunderland College.<ref>{{cite web |title=St Peter's Sixth Form College |url=http://www.stpeterssixthformcollege.ac.uk/ |access-date=3 January 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080127163823/http://www.stpeterssixthformcollege.ac.uk/ |archive-date=27 January 2008 }}</ref>

There are eighteen [[secondary school]]s in the Sunderland area, predominantly comprehensives. According to exam results, the most successful was [[St Robert of Newminster Catholic School]], a coeducational secondary school and sixth form in Washington.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/special/education/school_tables/secondary/12/html/eng_maths_394.stm?compare=|title=Secondary school league tables in Sunderland|date=23 April 2013|work=BBC News|access-date=30 April 2017}}</ref> However, comprehensive schools also thrive, notably the Roman Catholic single-sex schools [[St Anthony's Girls' Catholic Academy|St Anthony's]] (for girls) and [[St Aidan's Catholic School|St Aidan's]] (for boys). Both continue to attain high exam results.

There are seventy-six [[primary school]]s in Sunderland. According to the 'Value Added' measure, the most successful is Mill Hill Primary School, in [[Doxford Park]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Primary Schools in Sunderland League Table |work=BBC News |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/bsp/hi/education/06/school_tables/primary_schools/html/va_394.stm |access-date=18 January 2007}}</ref>

== Transport ==
{{Main|Transport in Tyne and Wear}}

===Heavy and light rail===
[[File:Sunderland station Metro platforms.jpg|thumb|right|Sunderland railway and Metro station]]

[[Sunderland railway station|Sunderland station]] is served by four [[train operating companies]]:
* [[Grand Central (train operating company)|Grand Central]] operates five direct inter-city trains to [[London King's Cross railway station|London King's Cross]] Monday-Saturday, with four on Sunday, taking about 3 hours 30 minutes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Grand Central timetables |work=Grand Central |date=May 2023 |access-date=5 November 2023 |url= https://www.grandcentralrail.com/travelling-with-gc/timetables |quote=}}</ref>
* [[Northern Trains]] provides services between {{rws|Nunthorpe}}, {{rws|Middlesbrough}}, {{rws|Whitby}}, {{rws|Newcastle}} and {{rws|Hexham}}.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Timetables and engineering information for travel with Northern |work=Northern Railway |date=May 2023 |access-date=5 November 2023 |url= https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/travel/timetables |quote=}}</ref>
* [[Tyne and Wear Passenger Transport Executive]] owns and operates the [[Tyne & Wear Metro]], under the ''Nexus'' brand. The city has several stops on the Green line between {{metro|South Hylton}} and {{metro|Newcastle Airport}}, including at {{metro|Seaburn}}, {{metro|Stadium of Light}} and {{metro|St Peters}} before the city's main station with the [[Park Lane Interchange]], {{metro|University}}, {{metro|Millfield}} and {{metro|Pallion}}. Trains run every 12–15 minutes, depending on the time of day, at each of the nine stations.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Timetables and stations |work=Nexus |date=2023 |access-date=5 November 2023 |url= https://www.nexus.org.uk/metro/timetables-stations |quote=}}</ref>

{{Wide image|Sunderland_Metro_Map.png|780px|The Green Line simplified with dashed lines for omitted stations|dir=rtl}}

{{rws|Newcastle}} is a 30-minute Metro or train ride from Sunderland city centre, which facilitates connecting services to London King's Cross every half hour that take approximately 2 hours 45 minutes. It also provides regular services to {{rws|Edinburgh Waverley}}, {{rws|Glasgow Central}}, {{rws|Leeds}}, [[Manchester Piccadilly]], {{rws|Liverpool Lime Street}}, {{rws|Birmingham New Street}} and beyond.

Sunderland station opened in 1879<ref name="disused-stations.org.uk">{{cite web|url=http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/s/sunderland_central/ |title=Sunderland Central Station |publisher=Disused Stations |access-date=3 June 2016}}</ref> and completely redesigned for England's [[1966 World Cup]] footfall to get to [[Roker Park]]. It is underground<ref name="disused-stations.org.uk"/> and became part of the [[Tyne & Wear Metro]] in 2002.<ref>{{cite news|title= New look arriving|work=Sunderland Echo|url=http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/New-look-will-be-arriving.1010574.jp|date=27 April 2005|access-date=3 March 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title= New rail service launch delayed|work=BBC News|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/6168002.stm|date=21 November 2006|access-date=22 November 2006}}</ref>

In March 2014, Metro owner Nexus proposed an extension of the network by an 'on-street' tram link which would connect north to [[South Shields]] and Doxford Park to the west.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shieldsgazette.com/news/business/new-south-tyneside-metro-and-tram-link-up-plans-revealed-1-6525102 |title=New South Tyneside Metro and tram link-up plans revealed |publisher=Shields Gazette |date=27 March 2014 |access-date=3 June 2016}}</ref>

[[File:Pallion station 02.jpg|thumb|right|Pallion Metro station]]

{| class="wikitable"
|+Sunderland railway station's connections
!Operators!!Services!!Lines!!Terminus||Other stations
|-
|[[Northern Trains]]
|An hourly service||[[Durham Coast Line]] (DCL), [[Tyne Valley Line]] and [[Esk Valley Line]]||{{rws|Hexham}} and {{rws|Nunthorpe}}||{{rws|Newcastle}}, {{rws|Hartlepool}} and {{rws|Middlesbrough}}
|-
|[[Grand Central Trains]]
|Five (four on Sunday) trains per day||DCL (south), Northallerton–Eaglescliffe Line and the [[East Coast Main Line]] (ECML)||It is a terminus and {{rws|London Kings Cross}}||{{rws|Eaglescliffe}}, {{rws|Northallerton}}, {{rws|Thirsk}} and {{rws|York}}
|-
|[[Tyne and Wear Metro]]
|Up to five (four on evening and Sunday services) trains per hour on||Green Line||{{metro|Newcastle Airport}} and {{metro|South Hylton}}||Newcastle
|}

===Roads===
[[File:Riverside path and Northern Spire, Sunderland (geograph 5963579).jpg|thumb|The [[Northern Spire]]]]
[[File:Main roads in sunderland.jpg|thumb|right|Illustration of the main roads through Sunderland]]

There are five main roads which connect the city:
*The city's main road is the [[A19 road|A19]], which is a [[dual carriageway]] running north-to-south west of the city, crossing the River Wear at Hylton. The road goes links [[Doncaster]] with the north of [[Newcastle upon Tyne]] and the [[A1 road (Great Britain)|A1]] to [[Edinburgh]]; it passes [[Hartlepool]], [[Stockton-on-Tees]], [[Middlesbrough]] and [[York]] to [[A168 road|A168]] and the [[A1 road (Great Britain)|A1M]]. The A19 originally ran through Sunderland city centre until a bypass was built in the 1970s, renaming the old route to the A1018.
*The [[A690 road|A690]] ''Durham Road'' terminates in the city centre and runs to [[Crook, County Durham]], via the city of Durham.
*The [[A1231 road|A1231]] (Sunderland Highway) begins in the city centre, crosses the [[Northern Spire Bridge]] and runs west through [[Washington, Tyne and Wear|Washington]] to the [[A1 road (Great Britain)|A1]]. From the north end of the Northern Spire Bridge to the A19 is a 50&nbsp;mph limit. From the A19 to the A1 is [[national speed limit]].
*The [[A1018 road|A1018]] and [[A183 road (England)|A183]] roads both start in the centre of South Shields and enter Sunderland from the north, before merging to cross the Wearmouth Bridge. The A1018 follows a direct route from Shields to Sunderland, the A183 follows the coast. After crossing the bridge, the A1018 follows a relatively straight path to the south of Sunderland where it merges with the A19. The A183 becomes ''Chester Road'' and heads west out of the city to the A1 at [[Chester-le-Street]].{{Citation needed|date=August 2008}} In Autumn 2007, the ''Southern Radial Route'' was opened. This is a bypass of the A1018 through Grangetown and Ryhope – a stretch that commonly suffered from [[traffic congestion|congestion]], especially during [[rush hour]]. The bypass starts just south of Ryhope and runs parallel to the cliff tops into Hendon, largely avoiding residential areas.{{Citation needed|date=August 2008}}

The Sunderland strategic transport corridor project is an ongoing investment to the city's road infrastructure. The scheme improves transport links around the city, ensuring continuous dual carriageway between the A19 road and the port of Sunderland, as well as the [[Northern Spire]] bridge built over the Wear between Pallion (south) and Castletown (north).

===Buses===
[[File:Buses in Park Lane Interchange - geograph.org.uk - 1748466.jpg|thumbnail|right|Go North East buses at Park Lane Interchange]]

The majority of bus services in Sunderland are provided by [[Stagecoach North East|Stagecoach in Sunderland]] and [[Go North East]], with a handful of services provided by [[Arriva North East]]. Cross-country and inter-city routes are operated mainly by [[National Express Coaches|National Express]] and [[FlixBus|Flixbus]].

A multimillion-pound [[Transport hub|transport interchange]] at [[Park Lane Interchange|Park Lane]] was opened on 2 May 1999 by the then ''[[Brookside (television programme)|Brookside]]'' actor [[Michael Starke (actor)|Michael Starke]]. With 750,000 passengers per year, it is the busiest bus and coach station in Britain after [[Victoria Coach Station]] in [[Central London]] and has won several awards for innovative design.<ref name="didyouknow">{{cite news|title=Did you know? Sunderland facts|work=Sunderland Echo News|url=http://www.wear1.co.uk/didyouknow.html|date=21 November 2006|access-date=22 November 2006 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070802181549/http://www.wear1.co.uk/didyouknow.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 2 August 2007}}</ref>

A new Metro station was built underneath the bus concourse to provide a direct interchange as part of the extension to South Hylton in 2002.

===Cycling===
There are a number of cycle routes that run through and around Sunderland. The [[National Cycle Network]] National Route 1 runs from Ryhope in the south, through the centre of the city and then along the coast towards South Shields. Britain's most popular long-distance [[Segregated cycle facilities|cycle route]] – The 'C2C' [[Sea to Sea Cycle Route]] – traditionally starts or ends when the cyclist dips their wheel in the sea on Roker beach. The '[[W2W]]' 'Wear-to-[[Walney]]' route and the 'Two-Rivers' (Tyne and Wear) route also terminate in Sunderland.

===Airports===
[[File:Red Arrows Sunderland Airshow 2009 (2).jpg|thumb|right|The Red Arrows display team perform at the 2009 Sunderland International Airshow]]
[[Newcastle International Airport|Newcastle Airport]] is a 55-minute Metro ride from Sunderland city centre; there is a Metro train connecting with the airport every 12–15{{nbsp}}minutes in both directions until about 11{{nbsp}}pm, Monday-Sunday.

[[Teesside International Airport]] can be reached in less than one hour by car.

Up until 2022, the city hosted the [[Sunderland International Airshow]]. It took place along the sea front at Roker and Seaburn.

===Port===
[[File:Sunderland harbour.jpg|thumb|Sunderland harbour viewed from the north dock]]

The Port of Sunderland is the second largest municipally owned port in the United Kingdom.<ref name="pos1">{{cite web | url=http://www.portofsunderland.org.uk | title=Port of Sunderland | publisher=Port of Sunderland | access-date=6 July 2014}}</ref> The port offers a total of 17 quays,<ref name="pos-quays">{{cite web | url=http://www.portofsunderland.org.uk/port_map.php | title=Port of Sunderland – Port Map | publisher=Port of Sunderland | access-date=6 July 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130814055615/http://portofsunderland.org.uk/port_map.php | archive-date=14 August 2013 | url-status=dead | df=dmy-all }}</ref> which handle cargoes including forest products, non-ferrous metals, steel, aggregates and refined oil products, limestone, chemicals and maritime cranes.<ref name="pos1"/> It also handles offshore supply vessels and has ship repair and [[drydock]]ing facilities.

The river berths are deepwater and [[tide|tidal]], while the South Docks are entered via a lock with an {{convert|18.9|m|adj=on}} beam restriction.<ref name="pos-southdock">{{cite web | url=http://www.portofsunderland.org.uk/south_docks.php | title=Port of Sunderland – South Docks | publisher=Port of Sunderland | access-date=6 July 2014 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130814055945/http://portofsunderland.org.uk/south_docks.php | archive-date=14 August 2013 | df=dmy-all }}</ref>

==Culture==

===Dialect and accent===
{{Main|Mackem}}
The dialect of Sunderland is known as [[Mackem]], and contains a large amount of vocabulary and distinctive words and pronunciations not used in other parts of the United Kingdom. The Mackem dialect has much of its origins in the language spoken by the [[Anglo-Saxons|Anglo-Saxon]] population. Although the accent has much in common with [[Geordie]], the dialect spoken in Newcastle, there are some distinctive differences.

A few Sunderland dialect words:
*Nee – No
*Bosh – Problem
*Marra – Mate
*Ha'way – Come on (Not to be confused with Geordie's Howay)
*Knack – Hurt
*Git – Very (Used to emphasize something so 'very good' becomes 'git good')
*Claes – Clothes

===Attractions and events===
{{multiple images|
| total_width       = 300px
| perrow            = 2
| image1            = Sunderland Marina - geograph.org.uk - 4068800.jpg
| image2            = Glass Museum Sunderland - geograph.org.uk - 501440.jpg
| image3            = Hylton Castle In The Summer.jpg
| image4            = Museum and Winter Gardens - Mowbray Gardens - geograph.org.uk - 514186.jpg
| footer            = '''Clockwise from top''': the marina; the [[National Glass Centre]]; the [[Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens|Museum and Winter Gardens]] from [[Mowbray Park]]; and [[Hylton Castle]]
}}

Notable attractions for visitors to Sunderland include the 14th century [[Hylton Castle]] and the beaches of [[Roker#Lighthouses and pier|Roker]] and [[Seaburn]]. The [[National Glass Centre]] opened in 1998, reflecting Sunderland's distinguished history of glass-making.<ref>{{cite news |title=Another new head for Glass Centre |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/wear/3861253.stm |work=BBC News |access-date=18 January 2007 | date=2 July 2004}}</ref>

[[Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens]], on Borough Road, was the first municipally funded museum in the country outside London.<ref name="auto"/> It houses a comprehensive collection of the locally produced [[Sunderland Lustreware]] pottery. The City Library Arts Centre, on Fawcett Street, housed the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art until the library was closed in January 2017. The library service was relocated to the Museum and Winter Gardens and the Gallery for Contemporary Art transferred to Sunderland University.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sunderlandecho.com/our-region/sunderland/closure-date-set-for-sunderland-s-city-library-1-8190155|title=Closure date set for Sunderland's City Library|website=Sunderlandecho.com|date=20 October 2016 |access-date=4 August 2017}}</ref>

Every year the city hosts a large [[Remembrance Day]] memorial service, the largest in the UK outside [[London]] in 2006.<ref>{{cite news |title=North honours fallen war heroes |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/6141372.stm |work=BBC News |access-date=17 January 2007 | date=12 November 2006}}</ref>

Sunderland celebrates an annual Restaurant week, where city centre restaurants provide some of the best plates at low costs.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sunderlandvibe.com/sunderland-restaurant-week-2020-what-to-expect/|title = Sunderland Restaurant Week 2020: What to Expect|date = 17 January 2020}}</ref>

===Literature and art===
[[File:Sunderlandstreets2.jpg|thumb|Sunniside district in the city centre]]
[[Lewis Carroll]] was a frequent visitor to the area. He wrote most of ''[[Jabberwocky]]'' at [[Whitburn, South Tyneside|Whitburn]] as well as "[[The Walrus and the Carpenter]]".<ref>{{cite web |title=The Walrus and the Carpenter |url=http://www.northeastengland.talktalk.net/Sunderland%20and%20East%20Durham.htm |work=Sunderland and East Durham History |access-date=18 January 2007 |archive-date=23 February 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070223220203/http://www.northeastengland.talktalk.net/Sunderland%20and%20East%20Durham.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> Some parts of the area are also widely believed to be the inspiration for his Alice in Wonderland stories, such as Hylton Castle and Backhouse Park.<ref>''Alice in Sunderland'', Bryan Talbot, 2007, {{ISBN|978-1-59307-673-3}}</ref> There is a statue to Carroll in Whitburn library. Lewis Carroll was also a visitor to the Rectory of Holy Trinity Church, Southwick; then a township independent of Sunderland. Carroll's connection with Sunderland, and the area's history, is documented in [[Bryan Talbot]]'s 2007 graphic novel ''[[Alice in Sunderland]]''.<ref>{{cite news |first=Ross |last=Robertson |title=News focus: Alice in Pictureland |url=http://www.sunderlandtoday.co.uk/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleID=2181289&SectionID=1512 |work=Sunderland Echo |date=27 March 2007 |access-date=29 March 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070402012743/http://www.sunderlandtoday.co.uk/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleID=2181289&SectionID=1512 <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 2 April 2007}}</ref> More recently, Sunderland-born [[Terry Deary]], writer of the series of ''[[Horrible Histories (book series)|Horrible Histories]]'' books, has achieved fame and success, and many others such as thriller writer [[Sheila Quigley]], are following his lead.<ref>{{cite news |title=Grandmother has write stuff|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/wear/3004139.stm |work=BBC News |date=6 May 2003 |access-date=28 December 2007}}</ref>

The Salford-born painter [[L. S. Lowry]] was a frequent visitor, staying in the Seaburn Hotel in Sunderland.<ref>{{cite web |title=Masters of Art |url=http://www.sunderlandtoday.co.uk/mk4custompages/CustomPage.aspx?PageID=31751|work=Sunderland Echo |access-date=18 January 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061231083815/http://www.sunderlandtoday.co.uk/mk4custompages/CustomPage.aspx?PageID=31751 <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 31 December 2006}}</ref> Many of his paintings of seascapes and shipbuilding are based on Wearside scenes. The [[Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art]] on Fawcett Street and [[Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens]] showcase exhibitions and installations from up-and-coming and established artists alike, with the latter holding an extensive collection of Lowry. The National Glass Centre on Liberty Way also exhibits a number of glass sculptures.

===Media, film and television===
Sunderland has a local newspaper: the daily tabloid ''The [[Sunderland Echo]]'', founded in 1873.

It also has its own commercial station, [[Nation Radio North East]], formerly known as Sun FM, an independent station but now owned by [[Nation Broadcasting]] who acquired the station from the [[UKRD Group]], a student-led community radio station, [[Spark Sunderland|Spark]], and a hospital radio station – [[Radio Sunderland for Hospitals]], and can receive other north-eastern independent radio stations [[Hits Radio North East]], [[Greatest Hits Radio North East]], [[Capital North East]], [[Smooth North East]] and [[Heart North East]]. The regional BBC radio station is [[BBC Radio Newcastle]]. The city is covered by [[BBC North East and Cumbria]] and [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]]'s [[Tyne Tees Television|Tyne Tees]] franchise, which has a regional office in the university's media centre.<ref>{{cite web |title=Julia Barthram |work=ITV Tyne Tees |url=http://www.tynetees.tv/Julia_Barthram.htm |access-date=6 March 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070308122635/http://www.tynetees.tv/Julia_Barthram.htm |archive-date=8 March 2007 }}</ref>

Sunderland's inaugural film festival took place in December 2003 at the Bonded Warehouse building on Sunderland riverside, in spite of the lack of any cinema facilities in the city at that time, featuring the films of local and aspiring directors as well as re-showings of acclaimed works, such as [[Alan Bleasdale]]'s ''[[The Monocled Mutineer]]'', accompanied by analysis.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hattenstone |first=Simon |date=5 December 2003 |title=The show must go on |work=The Guardian |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2003/dec/05/3 |access-date=1 April 2010}}</ref> By the time of the second festival commencing on 21 January 2005, a new cinema multiplex had opened in Sunderland to provide a venue which allowed the festival to showcase over twenty films.

In March 2024, Crown Works Studios<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jonny |first=Manning |date=26 March 2024 |title=Landmark film studio granted planning approval |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckrxe2zgye1o |access-date=17 April 2025 |website=www.bbc.co.uk/}}</ref> was given government backing to pave the way to create thousands of jobs across the north-east of England. The development forms part of a major regeneration scheme taking place in Wearside. Planning firm Lichfields said the studios would put the North East "on the map" as an international centre for broadcast and film production. Main financial backers for the Crown Works Studios include [[Fulwell 73|Fulwell Entertainment]] and the United Kingdom government. [[Cain International]] initially invested in the project but withdrew from it in June 2025.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Holland |first=Danny |last2=Manning |first2=Jonny |date=30 June 2025 |title=Crown Works Studios' backer pulls out of project |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd788e1gj48o |access-date=1 August 2025 |work=BBC News}}</ref>

===Music, dance and kites===
{{Main|Bands and musicians from Yorkshire and North East England}}
In January 2025, Sunderland Music City<ref>{{Cite web |title=We are Sunderland Music City |url=https://musiccity.uk/ }}</ref> announced that its bid to join the Music Cities Network has been successful, with Sunderland now a fully fledged member of the global collective.<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 January 2025 |title=SUNDERLAND IS A MUSIC CITY |url=https://sunderlandbid.co.uk/news/sunderland-is-a-music-city/ }}</ref> The accreditation will make Sunderland only the second city in the UK to join the network, following in the footsteps of Manchester. The Music Cities Network,<ref>{{Cite web |title=MUSIC CITIES NETWORK |url=https://www.musiccitiesnetwork.com/ |access-date=17 April 2025}}</ref> established in 2016, connects cities worldwide to promote the music industry's growth, economic development, and cultural exchange. Internationally, Sunderland now sits alongside legendary music spots like Sydney and Berlin. Sunderland's place among the roster of international Music Cities is an acknowledgement of Wearside's amazing musical heritage and marks the ongoing commitment to nurturing the city's dynamic music scene and fostering a robust creative economy in the area. Inclusion in the network gives members access to collaborative opportunities, resources, and advocacy that will help the city build on its music ecosystem and support cultural, social, and economic development.

In 2013, local band Frankie and The Heartstrings opened a temporary pop up record store in the city, Pop Recs Ltd.<ref>{{cite web |last=Youngs |first=Ian |date=9 October 2013 |title=Frankie and the Heartstrings: Record shop boys |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-24437766 |access-date=3 June 2016 |work=BBC News}}</ref> Initially only intended to remain open for a fortnight, the store remains open and has hosted live performances from acts including [[the Cribs]], [[the Vaccines]] and [[The Charlatans (English band)|the Charlatans]].

The Sunderland [[Stadium of Light]], home to [[Sunderland AFC]], is recognised internationally as a major stadium concert venue. Headlining acts have included [[Oasis (band)|Oasis]], [[Take That]], [[Pink (singer)|Pink]], [[Kings of Leon]], [[Red Hot Chili Peppers]], [[Coldplay]], [[Bruce Springsteen|Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band]], [[Bon Jovi]], [[Rihanna]], [[One Direction]], [[Foo Fighters]] and [[Beyoncé]]. The Empire Theatre and Firestation play host to music acts. Venues such as Independent, a city-centre [[nightclub]]/music venue, satisfy music lovers need eclectic tastes and need to hear the next generation of bands.

Since 2009, Sunderland: Live in the city has played host to a series of free and ticketed live music events throughout venues in the city centre.

In May 2005, Sunderland played host to [[BBC Radio 1]]'s [[Big Weekend]] concert at [[Herrington|Herrington Country Park]], attended by 30,000 visitors and which featured [[Foo Fighters]], [[Kasabian]], [[KT Tunstall]], [[Chemical Brothers]] and [[the Black Eyed Peas]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Radio 1's Big Weekend: Penshaw Monument, Herrington Park, Sunderland |work=BBC Radio 1 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/bigweekend05/ |access-date=26 February 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Local boys shine at Sunderland's Big Weekend |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/wear/content/articles/2005/05/10/stage_two_sunday_review_feature.shtml |access-date=26 February 2007}}</ref>

The Manor Quay' the students' union nightclub on St Peter's Riverside at the [[University of Sunderland]], has hosted the [[Arctic Monkeys]], [[Maxïmo Park]], [[911 (UK band)|911]], [[the Levellers (band)|the Levellers]] and [[Girls Aloud]]. In 2009, the club was taken into private ownership under the name Campus<ref>{{Cite web |title=Take a trip down memory lane as we revisit Sunderland's iconic nightclub scene |url=https://www.sunderland.ac.uk/more/news/university-news/2025/north-shore-sunderland-university/ }}</ref> and hosted [[N-Dubz]], [[Ocean Colour Scene]], [[Little Boots]], [[Gary Numan]] and [[Showaddywaddy]] but has since been returned to the university where it has become the Interfaith Chaplaincy Centre.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Faith and chaplaincy |url=https://www.sunderland.ac.uk/student-experience/student-support/wellbeing/faith-and-chaplaincy/ }}</ref>{{Citation needed|date=August 2008}}

The former students' union Wearmouth Hall hosted [[Voice of the Beehive]], [[Manic Street Preachers]], The Primitives and Radiohead before closing in 1992.

Sunderland musicians that have gone on to reach international fame include [[Dave Stewart (Eurythmics)|Dave Stewart]] of the [[Eurythmics]] and all four members of [[Kenickie]], whose vocalist [[Lauren Laverne]] later became known as a TV presenter. In recent years, the [[underground music]] scene in Sunderland has helped promote the likes of [[Frankie & the Heartstrings]], [[the Futureheads]], [[the Golden Virgins]] and [[Field Music]]. Other Mackem musicians include punk rockers [[the Toy Dolls]] ("Nellie the Elephant", December 1984); oi! punk band [[Red Alert (band)|Red Alert]]; melodic hardcore punk band [[Leatherface (band)|Leatherface]]; the lead singer of dance outfit [[Olive (band)|Olive]], [[Ruth Ann Boyle]] ("You're Not Alone", May 1997); and [[A Tribe of Toffs]] ("[[John Kettley is a Weatherman]]", December 1988).

Sunderland has also hosted a free International Festival of Kites,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sunderland International Kite Festival 2006 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/wear/content/articles/2006/06/27/kite_festival_2006_event_feature.shtml }}</ref> Music and Dance, which attracted kite-makers from around the world to Northumbria Playing Fields, Washington.

===Theatres and performance venues===
[[File:Sunderland Empire.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.75|The Sunderland Empire]]
[[File:The Bunker- Sunderland.jpg|alt=A view of the artwork for The Bunker, Sunderland - home of music in the city since 1982|thumb|223x223px|The Bunker, Sunderland]]
The [[Sunderland Empire Theatre]] opened in 1907 on High Street West in the city centre. It is the largest theatre in between [[Edinburgh]] and [[Manchester]],{{citation needed|date=March 2015}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=30 interesting facts about Sunderland |url=https://www.mysunderland.co.uk/article/25698/30-interesting-facts-about-Sunderland#:~:text=Opened%20in%201907%2C%20Sunderland%20Empire,attack%20on%20stage%20in%201976. }}</ref> and completed a comprehensive refurbishment in 2004. Operated by international entertainment group [[Live Nation]], the Empire is the only theatre between [[Glasgow]] and [[Leeds]] with sufficient capacity to accommodate large [[West End theatre|West End]] productions.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Sunderland Empire Theatre |work=Sunderland City Council |url=http://www.visitsunderland.com/culture/empire.html |access-date=18 January 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061222233211/http://www.visitsunderland.com/culture/empire.html |archive-date=22 December 2006 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> It is where British comic actor [[Sid James]] died of a heart attack whilst on stage in 1976.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sunderlandecho.com/retro1980s/1989-Ghostly-tale.4331124.jp|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120918044323/http://www.sunderlandecho.com/retro1980s/1989-Ghostly-tale.4331124.jp|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 September 2012|title=1989: Ghostly tale|website=Sunderlandecho.com|access-date=4 August 2017}}</ref>

The Bunker is the only venue in Sunderland where you can rehearse, record, learn and perform, all in one location. Born as a youth project in 1980, finally settling in its current home in 1983,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bunkeruk.com/about-the-bunker/|access-date=14 January 2024 |title=About Us |date=21 October 2015 }}</ref> new music talent can practice and perform in the same building that has hosted gigs by [[The Clash]], [[Bjork]], [[Chumbawamba]] and [[Billy Bragg]]. The Bunker has a history synonymous with the development of music making in the North East.

Independent is popular grass roots music venue in Sunderland, nurturing young talent, supporting bands and giving people a stage to play their first ever show. Open since the early 2000s it has played host to not only a range of up-and coming talent, but acts such as [[The Zutons]], [[Jamie T]], [[Klaxons]] as well as local heroes such as [[The Futureheads]] and [[Field Music]].

The Fire Station is a live music and performance auditorium that complements its Edwardian neighbour, the Empire Theatre. It is operated by Sunderland Culture. In 2017 the Sunderland MAC Trust restored Sunderland's 1908 Central Fire Station, vacant since 1992, and converted it into a cultural hub with dance and literacy studios, teaching rooms and a bar/restaurant. The Fire Station auditorium is a 500 seat/800 standing venue attached to the restored building which opened in December 2021.

The Royalty Theatre on [[A183 road (England)|Chester Road]] is the home to the amateur Royalty Theatre Group who also put on a number of low-budget productions throughout the year. Film producer [[David Parfitt]] belonged to this company and is now a patron of the theatre.<ref>{{cite web |title=Royalty Theatre Sunderland, Trustees' Report |url=https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/charity-search?p_p_id=uk_gov_ccew_onereg_charitydetails_web_portlet_CharityDetailsPortlet&p_p_lifecycle=2&p_p_state=maximized&p_p_mode=view&p_p_resource_id=%2Faccounts-resource&p_p_cacheability=cacheLevelPage&_uk_gov_ccew_onereg_charitydetails_web_portlet_CharityDetailsPortlet_objectiveId=A12630143&_uk_gov_ccew_onereg_charitydetails_web_portlet_CharityDetailsPortlet_priv_r_p_mvcRenderCommandName=%2Faccounts-and-annual-returns&_uk_gov_ccew_onereg_charitydetails_web_portlet_CharityDetailsPortlet_priv_r_p_organisationNumber=258246 |publisher=Charity Commission |access-date=30 December 2023}}</ref>

The [[Sunniside, Sunderland|Sunniside]] area plays host to a number of smaller theatrical workshops and production houses.

=== Landmarks ===
Landmarks in Sunderland include the [[Wearmouth Bridge]], [[Monkwearmouth Railway Bridge]], [[Northern Spire Bridge]], [[Keel Crossing]], [[Queen Alexandra Bridge]], [[Penshaw Monument]], [[Sunderland Minster]],  and the [[Tunstall Hills]].

==Sport==
===Football===
[[File:Stadium of Light, Sunderland - geograph.org.uk - 5813943.jpg|thumb|right|View of the [[Stadium of Light]]]]
The city is well known for its passion for football.

The [[Association football|football]] team, [[Sunderland A.F.C.]] was elected to the [[Football League]] in 1890. [[Sunderland A.F.C. supporters|Sunderland supporters]] are one of the oldest fan bases in England: in 2019 it was reported that despite being in [[EFL League One|League One]], Sunderland's average gates were higher than those of such teams as [[Olympique Lyonnais|Lyon]], [[S.S.C. Napoli|Napoli]], [[A.S. Roma|Roma]], [[Valencia CF|Valencia]], [[Juventus FC|Juventus]], and [[FC Porto|Porto]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/how-sunderland-harnessing-fanbase-bigger-16120708|title=Sunderland harnessing fanbase bigger than Valencia, Porto and Juventus|first=Stuart|last=Rayner|date=13 April 2019|website=ChronicleLive}}</ref> After relegations from the [[FA Premier League]] and the [[EFL Championship]], documented in the streaming series [[Sunderland 'Til I Die]] the club played four consecutive seasons in [[EFL League One]]. It played in the [[EFL Championship]] since the 2022–23 season until the 2024–2025 season, in which it was promoted back to the [[Premier League]] through the [[2025 EFL Championship play-off final|play-offs]] for the first time in eight years. It is based at the 49,000-seat [[Stadium of Light]], which was opened in 1997.<ref>{{cite news |title=SAFC Previous Grounds / History / Previous Grounds |url=http://www.safc.com/history/?page_id=3911|work=SAFC website |date=2 January 2008 |access-date=3 April 2008}}</ref>

Sunderland AFC's longest stadium occupancy so far was of [[Roker Park]] for 99 years beginning in 1898, with relocation taking place due to the stadium's confined location and the need to build an all-seater stadium.

[[Sunderland A.F.C. Women]] is one of the north-east's top women's football teams. They currently play in the 2nd tier of English women's football – [[Women's Championship (England)]].

The city also has three non-league sides, [[Sunderland Ryhope Community Association F.C.]], and [[Ryhope Colliery Welfare F.C.]], both of the [[Northern League Division One]] as well as [[Sunderland West End F.C.|Sunderland West End FC]] of the [[Wearside League]], who play at the Ford Quarry Complex.

===Rugby and Cricket===
The Ashbrooke ground was opened on 30 May 1887. Sunderland's amateur [[Rugby football|Rugby]] and [[Cricket]] clubs are both based in [[Ashbrooke]].<ref>{{cite news|title=SAFC Previous Grounds|url=http://vega.sund.ac.uk/ashbrooke/cricket.cfm|work=vega.sund.ac.uk website|date=2 January 2008|access-date=3 April 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20060507000445/http://vega.sund.ac.uk/ashbrooke/cricket.cfm|archive-date=7 May 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=A Very Warm Welcome to Sunderland RFC. The Home of Sunderland Rugby Union|url=http://www.sunderlandrufc.com|work=sunderlandrufc.com website|date=2 January 2008|access-date=3 April 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080310072625/http://www.sunderlandrufc.com/|archive-date=10 March 2008}}</ref>

===Boxing & MMA===
Sunderland has a vibrant combat sports community with a number of active clubs such as Sunderland Amateur Boxing Club, Lambton Street ABC and Roker Rough House.

[[Kiaran MacDonald]] picked up a silver at both the 2022 [[European Championship]]s and [[Commonwealth Games]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Kiaran MacDonald |url=https://www.gbboxing.org.uk/profiles/kiaran-macdonald/ |publisher=GB Boxing |access-date=30 December 2023}}</ref> Other talented boxers from Sunderland include former Olympians [[Tony Jeffries]], [[Josh Kelly (boxer)|Josh Kelly]], and [[Billy Hardy (boxer)|Billy Hardy]], and Layla Straughan.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sunderland schoolgirl takes silver medal for boxing in European Championship finals|url=https://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/people/sunderland-schoolgirl-takes-silver-medal-for-boxing-in-european-championship-finals-as-she-rises-through-the-ranks-3822817|work=Sunderland Echo|access-date=30 August 2022}}</ref> Notable Mixed Martial Artists who have competed out of Sunderland are [[Andy Ogle]], [[Ian Freeman]], [[Phil De Fries]], [[Mick Parkin]], Alex Enlund and [[Ross Pearson]].

===Swimming===
[[File:Sunderland Aquatic Centre - geograph.org.uk - 1665091.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|right|Sunderland Aquatic Centre, located next to the Stadium of Light, holds the only Olympic-sized swimming pool in North-East England.]]
On 18 April 2008, the Sunderland Aquatic Centre was opened. Constructed at a cost of £20 million, it is the only Olympic sized 50&nbsp;m pool between [[Leeds]] and [[Edinburgh]] and has six diving boards, which stand at 1&nbsp;m, 3&nbsp;m and 5&nbsp;m.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sunderlandecho.com/daily/Olympic-splashout-spectacular.3991372.jp|title=Sunderland Echo Olympic splash-out spectacular|work=Sunderland Echo}}</ref>

The Crowtree Leisure Centre has also played host to a number of important boxing matches and snooker championships including the 2003 Snooker World Trickshot and Premier League Final. In September 2005, [[BBC]] TV cameras captured international boxing bouts featuring local boxers [[David Dolan (boxer)|David Dolan]], Stuart Kennedy and [[Tony Jeffries]]. The latter became Sunderland's first Olympic medallist when he won a [[bronze medal]] in the light heavyweight boxing category for [[Great Britain and Northern Ireland]] at the [[2008 Beijing Olympic Games]].{{Citation needed|date=August 2008}}

===Athletics===
In 2023, the British leg of the 2023 World Triathlon Championship Series was hosted in Sunderland, bringing elite swim, bike, run to Sunderland. The beach front at [[Roker]] welcomed the triathletes from around the world as well as thousands of amateur participants over the weekend of 29–30 July 2023 for a festival of swim, bike, and run.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sunderland.triathlon.org/ |title=Sunderland Triathlon |access-date=30 December 2023}}</ref>

Sunderland Harriers Athletics Club based at Silksworth Sports Complex. 800&nbsp;m runner Gavin Massingham represented the club at the AAA Championships in 2005.

The first Sunderland city 10&nbsp;km was held in 2011, with just over 1500 taking part. By 2021 the Sunderland City Runs welcomed 4000 participants to the city streets in a celebration of running across a range of distances. Entrants can choose the flat and fast 10K, a spring Half-Marathon, or the Active Sunderland Big 3K.

On 25 June 2006, the first Great Women's Run took place along Sunderland's coastline. Among the field which lined up to start the race were Olympic silver medallists [[Sonia O'Sullivan]] of the [[Republic of Ireland]] and [[Gete Wami]] of [[Ethiopia]], who eventually won the race. The race quickly became an annual fixture in the city's sporting schedule, with races in 2007 and 2008. In 2009, the race was relaunched as the [[Great North 10K]] Run, allowing male competitors to take part for the first time, on 12 July.<ref>{{cite news|title=Great North 10K moves|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/local/wear/hi/front_page/newsid_9393000/9393838.stm|work=BBC News|access-date=28 June 2013}}</ref>

==Notable residents==
{{Main|List of people from Sunderland}}

==International relations==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in the United Kingdom}}
Sunderland is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:
*[[Essen]], Germany<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=2804 |title=Sunderland City Council: Further Information on Essen |publisher=Sunderland.gov.uk |access-date=3 June 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160422095518/http://www.sunderland.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=2804 |archive-date=22 April 2016 }}</ref>
*[[Harbin]], China<ref name="Harbin-Sunderland link">{{cite web|url=http://en.ichtf.com/news_2008.php?id=47248|title=Harbin is linking up with Sunderland|access-date=8 August 2013|work=Harbin News Web|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140301222614/http://en.ichtf.com/news_2008.php?id=47248|archive-date=1 March 2014}}</ref><ref name="Sunderland Echo">{{cite web |url=http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/China-opens-a-window-on.5276489.jp |title=China opens a window on Sunderland&nbsp;– Local |publisher=Sunderland Echo |date=18 May 2009 |access-date=16 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090521180257/http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/China-opens-a-window-on.5276489.jp |archive-date=21 May 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*[[Saint-Nazaire]], France<ref name="Archant twinning 3">{{cite web|url=http://www.completefrance.com/language-culture/twin-towns|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130705094933/http://www.completefrance.com/language-culture/twin-towns|title=British towns twinned with French towns ''[via WaybackMachine.com]''|access-date=20 July 2013|archive-date=5 July 2013|work=Archant Community Media Ltd}}</ref>
*[[Washington, D.C.]], United States<ref name=DCsite>{{cite web|url=http://os.dc.gov/service/dc-sister-cities|title=DC Sister Cities – os|website=os.dc.gov|access-date=16 July 2018}}</ref>

Sunderland is the only non-capital city that is twinned with Washington, D.C., as it includes the town of [[Washington, Tyne and Wear|Washington]], the ancestral home of George Washington's family.<ref name=DCsite/>

==See also==
{{Portal|North East England}}
* [[Boxing Day Dip|Sunderland's Boxing Day dip]]
* [[The North Dock Tufa]]
* [[List of important dates in the history of Sunderland]]
* [[The New Monkey]]
* [[Future developments in City of Sunderland]]

==References==
{{notelist}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Wikisource|Category:Sunderland|Sunderland}}
*{{Commons category-inline|Sunderland}}
*{{Wikivoyage inline|Sunderland}}
{{Navboxes |list1=
{{Geographic location
| Centre = Sunderland
| North = [[South Tyneside]]
| Northeast = [[North Sea]]
| East = [[North Sea]]
| Southeast = [[North Sea]]
| South = [[Seaham]], [[Easington, County Durham|Easington]]
| Southwest = [[Durham, England|Durham]], [[Chester-le-street]].
| West = [[Gateshead]], [[Washington, Tyne and Wear|Washington]]
| Northwest = [[Newcastle upon Tyne]]
}}
{{City of Sunderland}}
{{Tyne and wear}}
{{Coastal settlements
|place = Tyne and Wear
|settlement = Wearmouth, Sunderland
|anticlockwise = [[Roker]]
|clockwise = [[Hendon, Sunderland|Hendon]]
}}
{{T&W places}}
{{Authority control}}

}}

[[Category:Sunderland| ]]
[[Category:Ports and harbours of Tyne and Wear]]
[[Category:Port cities and towns in North East England]]
[[Category:Port cities and towns of the North Sea]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Tyne and Wear]]
[[Category:Towns in Tyne and Wear]]
[[Category:Unparished areas in Tyne and Wear]]
[[Category:Former civil parishes in Tyne and Wear]]
[[Category:City of Sunderland]]